Broken Hearts
by MsHayes
Summary: Minmei moves in with Rick and two hearts will be broken. Can two broken hearts mend and become one? This is NOT a Kyle & Lisa fic. (This fic is incomplete...sorry!)
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

The bartender reluctantly placed the bottle of whisky in front of her.

"Are you sure you want this, captain?" he asked full of concern. "You already had a few beers."

"Very sure," replied Lisa smiling weakly as she poured herself a glass of honey colored liquor.

"But…it's Christmas! Wouldn't you prefer some eggnog?"

Lisa shook her head. "This is exactly what I want."

The man looked at her closely as she took practically gulped the contents of her glass. She had the same look he had seen in so many survivors; the look that said they were trying to drown their sorrow in alcohol. He knew there was no way of stopping her and he shook his head before returning to the glasses he was wiping under the counter.

_Merry Christmas to you, Rick Hunter, _thought Lisa full of sadness.

She wanted to tell him that in person and a couple of hours ago it had seemed like a good idea…but then reality had slapped her in the face.

A few weeks had passed since their last fight and now she was feeling strong enough to forget her insecurities and make peace with Rick. With his present in her hands she had practically hopped up the stairs to knock on his door – only to find it ajar.

"My life is a song!"

She froze. It was Minmei, dressed in a short skirt that flattered her, asking Rick for a place to stay, for a second chance…and he had said yes. Lisa knew Rick's dream had finally come true.

_What about mine?_

* * *

He had seen her walk in and frowned instinctively. The other men at the bar regarded her with curiosity. Although she wasn't the only woman there, she definitely was the prettiest.

_What is she doing here?_ He wondered sipping from his beer bottle.

Lisa's hurried drinking gave him the answer.

_So…you figured it out, _he thought bitterly.

Minmei wasn't his and the pilot wasn't hers. He had realized that the day she snuck off to see Rick instead of preparing for the concert. He'd felt his heart break into pieces when she saw them sitting cozily at the restaurant. His first instinct had been to run in and pound the pilot but he knew Minmei would never forgive him. So, he had played the role of the caring manager and agent trying to embarrass Rick by saying that the meal would be covered by the expense account. He wanted to make Rick feel like a nobody – when in reality, _he_ was the nobody.

His ego had been severely struck. After the SDF-1 had returned to Earth, she had asked him to take care of her and he was only to happy to shower her with love and affection. Kyle knew she wasn't indifferent to him. They had shared more than a kiss during the last months aboard the ship and now she was asking him to stay with her. His heart had skipped a beat.

And now, it was hardly beating.

It had not been easy to walk away from Minmei and he hesitated after placing his jacket over her shoulders. She was shivering and looked like a little lost girl but he had to leave if he wanted to remain sane. He gave her one last look, hoping she would ask him to stay…but she didn't. So he walked to his car and drove away.

A few days later, Kyle had heard on the news that she had disappeared and he immediately returned to check on her well being. Kyle's instincts had told him that she was in New Macross City and he was relieved to see her staying at the restaurant with his parents. However, he had not been prepared to see her knocking at the pilot's door. He had felt has if all the air had been knocked out of his lungs.

_What a fool!_

He should have anticipated that event. He should have known that she was going to retrace her steps back to _him_. He should have known that he had lost her forever.

_And from the looks of it, my fellow partner in the broken hearts department didn't anticipate it either, _thought Kyle somberly as he observed Lisa's slumped figure.

The bartender approached her with a concerned gaze. He gently shook her shoulder and she raised her head.

"Are you okay, captain?"

"Perfectly," she slurred pushing her bangs away from her face.

"Would you like me to call a cab for you?"

"Nah," she said adjusting her coat. "A little walking will do me good."

She rose to her feet and almost immediately held on to the counter to steady herself.

"I really think--"

"I'm fine," said Lisa interrupting the man. She placed a bill next to the bottle and with a wave of her hand stepped out the door.

The winter breeze woke her up a bit and she quivered. Flurries were falling over the city and covering it all in white. She buried her hands in the pocket of her coat and began walking unsteadily in her high heeled boots. It wasn't long before she slipped on the icy floor and fell forward bruising her knee.

"Are you okay?"

She lifted her chin to see a blonde civilian hovering over her. He offered her his hand.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"That was an ugly fall," he replied. "You're bleeding."

"It's only a scrape. I've seen worse."

"Bet you have. After all, you are Lisa Hayes, twice commended for courage under fire."

"You know that?" She looked at him in surprise.

"Everyone does. And by the way, my name is Robert," he held his hand out for her.

"Nice to meet you."

"You shouldn't be walking alone at this hour, captain."

"I can take care of myself," she replied haughtily.

"I bet you can but is it okay if I walk you home?"

Lisa contemplated her answer. The man looked harmless. He was very well dressed and clean-cut. And she knew how to protect herself. What could possibly happen to her?

"That would be very nice of you." Lisa smiled at him.

They were chatting as they walked back to the base. The snow kept falling steadily over their heads and it didn't bother them until it began to rain. Lisa considered hailing a cab but the streets were deserted.

"Come with me," said Robert taking her hand and pulling her towards an alley.

"Where are you taking me?" asked Lisa trying to retrieve her hand.

"We'll take cover here." He pulled her hand again.

"No. That's okay." Lisa felt alarms going off in her head.

"Come with me!" insisted the man grabbing the front of her coat to swing her into the alley.

Lisa's body collided with the wall and she felt dazed. She didn't have enough time to recover and soon the blond man was pressing up against her body.

"Let me go! What are you doing?" she protested.

"What do you think?" He smiled an evil smile and Lisa tried to knee him.

He was expecting it and hit her on the ribs. She let out a groan and practically fell over.

"You better behave," said the man immobilizing her arms.

Lisa pressed the heel of her boot on his foot and he yelped. Robert loosened his grip and she turned to run.

"Not so fast!" said the man tugging her hair.

She stumbled backwards and he slammed her against the wall. Her head bounced off the wall and tears sprung to her eyes. Lisa managed to raise her arms and prepared to punch him but he pressed a knife against her neck.

"You better behave!" He slid it gently over her skin and she winced in pain. Lisa heard him laugh and felt nauseated.

"Let her go."

The voice was calm but it had fierceness in it. Lisa's eyes widen in surprise as the pacifist walked towards them.

"Stay out of this, buddy," Robert replied calmly. "This is a lover's quarrel."

"No!" said Lisa trying to push him away.

"First time I see a lover's spat involving a knife," said Kyle placing his arm over the man's shoulder.

"There's always a first time…and if you don't want it to be the last, leave!"

Lisa wasn't sure how it had happened but Kyle had managed to wrap his arm around Robert's neck and was pulling him from her. Her attacker was flailing his arms wildly while his face turned blue.

"How does this feel?" asked Kyle with too much glee.

_He's choking him!_ She thought full of alarm.

He deserved it but she didn't need a scandal. In a matter a seconds, she imagined the headlines and shook her head. She had to stop Kyle. The Hayes name had never been on a cover unless it was to mention their triumphs.

"Kyle, stop."

He seemed to be in a trance – a very angry one – and kept pressing the man's larynx with all his might.

"Stop! You're killing him!" said Lisa tugging at his arm.

Angry as he was, Kyle acted instinctively and flung his arm back with sufficient force to make her trip. Her heel slipped on the wet floor and she fell to the ground with a yelp. He heard her cry and looked back, only to see her hit her head on the cement.

"Damn it!" said Kyle letting go of Robert. The man barely managed to make it on his feet and ran out of the alley.

Lynn-Kyle kneeled next to Lisa's inert body and carefully raised her head and shoulders.

"Captain Hayes," he called gently, "Lisa?"

She was out. He frowned as he saw blood flowing from her neck down to her chest. Kyle cursed himself. He should have followed his gut feeling. He knew Lisa was in danger from the first moment he saw her walk into the bar.

_Now, what?_ he wondered as he picked her up in his arms.

* * *

To be continued…

A/N: Hello to all! How are you doing? Well, it's been a while since I've been around – my Robotech muse had abandoned me but thanks to cable TV, I'm getting my Robotech daily dose!

Hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter. I'll try to update once a week…maybe sooner.

So, what do you think is going to happen now? Look forward to hearing from you.

Ja na!


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

_What could possibly happen to her?_

Memories flooded her as she began to regain consciousness.

"No!" Lisa rose with a yelp and blinked trying to focus on her surroundings.

"Everything's all right," said a soothing voice.

Something was wrong! The voice sounded familiar but not enough. Where was she? What was she sitting on? A bed?!

She gasped again and tried to stand but gentle arms seized her shoulders. "You're okay. You're home," he repeated.

"Let me go!" She raised her hand to claw his face but he caught it midair.

"Captain Hayes! You're home. Do you hear me? You're okay."

A light went on and Lisa found herself face to face with Kyle. Her green eyes recognized him and he backed away.

"You should…cover yourself," said the dark haired man.

"What?" She stopped herself mid-sentence and blushed, realizing that her breasts were exposed.

"Oh my gosh!" replied Lisa covering herself.

"You were soaking wet. I had to undress you," said Kyle apologetically.

"I understand."

Lisa managed to fetch her nightgown while Kyle stared at the wall.

"I also had to go through your bag. You were passed out and I needed to find your address and your keys. Sorry."

"It's okay. You don't need to apologize. And you can turn around if you'd like."

"How's your head?" said Kyle stepping towards her.

"It just hurts a bit," she said touching her skull.

"Do you feel nauseated? Is your vision blurry?"

"No."

"That's a good sign but you should get yourself checked tomorrow just to make sure everything is okay," he said matter of factly.

Lisa took a deep breath and winced as one of her hands flew to her ribs. "Ow!"

"Your ribs are bruised but they're not broken. And your cut…" he pointed to her neck, "is not deep. Just keep it clean."

"Are you a doctor?" Lisa looked at him curiously.

"No but I've been an athlete most of my life."

"That's right…kung-fu," she mumbled remembering the first time she'd seen him at the restaurant. "You seem to have a lot of experience tending the wounded."

"Well, someone has to pick up after your mess," he eyed her nastily.

"I…I didn't mean--"

"Of course you didn't! You never do!"

"Wait a minute," replied Lisa trying to calm him.

_How did their conversation take this turn?_

"You really shouldn't mix your drinks, captain," said Kyle interrupting her, "especially if you can't handle them."

His voice was so harsh that she frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"If you can't hold your liquor you really shouldn't--"

"What I do is really none of your business," said Lisa vehemently.

"It is if you get yourself in danger," said Kyle crossing his arms over his chest. "I never expected to see a high ranking officer acting in such an irresponsible way."

"I don't think it's your place to judge me," she said feeling her cheeks flush.

"I'm not judging you. I'm just saying that you shouldn't put yourself in danger over a stupid pilot."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow," And you weren't getting drunk over your precious Miss Macross?"

They stared at each other with more hurt than anger. They tried denying it but their eyes would not be their accomplice. They both knew it was true; they had lost the loves of their lives.

Kyle lowered his eyes, speechless, and stared at his shoes. Lisa sighed and rose from the bed, clutching the sheet.

"Would you mind turning around? I need to get dressed."

"I'll be leaving."

"You don't have to. It's still raining," said Lisa looking towards her window.

"I can take care of myself."

"I have no doubts but if you don't mind, I'd like to thank you for your help."

"There's no need--"

"Amuse me," said Lisa calmly, "is it okay if I offer you a cup of coffee? There's a storm outside and I have the feeling you don't need to get anywhere in a hurry…or am I mistaken?"

Kyle looked at her with confusion. He expected his instincts to tell him to leave but they seemed to be napping.

"Besides," said Lisa throwing a towel at him, "you need to get out of those wet clothes…unless you'd like to catch pneumonia."

"I was thinking more of a cold. You military people sure like to exaggerate things," he replied with an usual grin in his somber face.

"You'll find some sweats in the laundry room," said Lisa before walking into the bathroom. "I'll be out in a sec."

Kyle stared at the door without really knowing his next move.

* * *

Rick stared at the ceiling. He'd been awake most of the night – although he had pretended to be asleep when Minmei came to his side. He felt her pull the sheet over him and the gentle kiss she placed on his lips. A couple of years ago he would have jumped for joy but now, he didn't know what to make of it.

It was like a dream to finally have Minmei with him but he just couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling in his heart. Lynn-Kyle had left her and she had run to him – like she always did. He was winning her by default.

And knowing this, he still couldn't push her away.

Minmei just had some strange hold over him. She had a magnetism that made it impossible for him (or anyone) to deny any of her wishes and right now he was number one on her wish list.

_But, is it fair?_ He wondered.

They'd been separated for so long. Could they really pick up their romance? (If it could be called that). Wasn't she the one that had left him to pursue her dreams? Hadn't he built new dreams for himself?

"Lisa," he heard himself whisper.

Lisa was the only constant in his life during the past years. Either in the military or in his personal life, she had always been there.

_To scold me…or to love me. _

Vanessa had knocked some sense into him months ago and even though he didn't grasp it immediately, he found himself understanding it hours later. He had frantically searched for her all over the city, only to find her at Claudia's. They had walked over to his place and over a cup of tea had discussed their feelings for each other. He admitted he felt "something" for her, though he couldn't name it. She did the same and they agreed to date before naming it.

_That is…until I messed it up," _he thought sullenly as he remembered the picnic fiasco.

Lisa had been angry with him for the past weeks. He had missed her more that he cared to admit but he just couldn't muster the courage to go after her. Lisa had been quite verbal when she asked him to stay away from her and she hadn't hesitated about doing it in front of others. Rick recalled the embarrassment he'd felt.

_Why did she have to be so stubborn?_

Now, Minmei was back in the picture and Rick felt a confusion he had not endured since the day he and Lisa kissed in front of Dolza.

* * *

"Would you like a shot of whiskey with your coffee?"

Kyle eyed the woman sitting across from him. She seemed like her old self, composed and demure, though dressed in her sweats she looked more like a college co-ed than the captain of a battle fortress.

"I think we've both had enough for tonight, Captain Hayes," he replied before sipping from his cup.

"Lisa."

"Huh?"

"My name is Lisa. I think it's okay if you call me that. After all, you've seen me at my lowest," she said grimly.

"It wasn't that bad."

"I don't need you padding it. It _was_ bad."

Kyle decided to keep silent and stared at his mug. It had an SDF-1 logo on it.

_What an irony…_

"Like the sweats?" Lisa tried to hide her smile. It was just priceless to see Kyle in an RDF pattern.

"They itch," he lied.

"Sure they do. They seem to fit you well."

"One size fits all, huh?"

"Kind of," she looked at him from under her lashes and shuddered.

_He looks so much like Karl!_

"You need to tell the police."

His words took her by surprise. "What?"

"You have to tell them captain."

"It's not necessary. It was my fault."

"You gotta be kidding me," Kyle said staring at her. "You need to see a doctor."

"What for? You already gave me your diagnosis."

She rose from her seat and walked towards the kitchen. He followed her.

"You have to report it!" he insisted. "Other women could be in danger if you don't tell the police."

"I don't think he'll strike again."

"You're talking nonsense."

"Maybe," Lisa swallowed her tears. "I just can't handle it right now, understand?"

"No, I don't!" said Kyle dropping his palm on the counter.

She gasped and jumped backwards. Kyle saw the fear in her eyes and regretted not controlling his impulse.

"I can't! I just can't!" wept Lisa dropping on her knees as she hugged herself.

Her emotions had been suppressed for too long and Lisa didn't care if a stranger saw her lose it. She let the tears fall from her eyes and covered her face with her hands.

Kyle observed her with knot in his throat. If he hadn't been raised to be a "man", he'd probably be crying by her side. He looked at her uncomfortably as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Captain Hayes…it's going to be alright," he managed to mumble.

Lisa didn't answer but he could still hear her crying. Her shoulders started to shake uncontrollably. He couldn't take it. He couldn't stand to see a woman cry that way and before he could stop himself, he lifted her in his arms. She didn't seem to mind, he thought as he walked towards the living room. She was resting her head on his shoulder.

_She's as light as a feather._

Kyle let himself fall softly on the sofa and held her close as if she were a child. Lisa continued to weep with her face buried in his chest. She felt his hand gently caress her hair.

None of them said another word that night.

* * *

The sun was beginning to rise when Rick Hunter walked out of his house. He frowned at the wet pavement but decided to go on with his plan. He would go for a jog and make a "pit stop" at Lisa's house. He'd ask her to join him and if she refused, he'd invite her to have breakfast.

_Maybe I should do that first,_ he mused scratching the back of his head.

He halted at the corner of her block and took a deep breath. He wiped the sweat beads from his forehead and walked towards her house. He saw the door open and smiled. Lisa hadn't changed her habits! Surely, she was coming out for a jog.

His smile faded as Lynn-Kyle shut the door and hurried down the steps of Lisa's house.

To be continued…

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! I know there's a few of you out there. Anonymous readers who stop by and don't leave a review – I must admit that I do the same sometimes - but it's always good to hear from you.

My special thanks to **Ladyaracne,** **quequeq1013 **and **SithKnight-Galen. **Thank you for submitting a review. It is greatly appreciated.

I hope this new chapter has caught your attention and that you'll be with me next week. I know that Kyle isn't everyone's (if anyone's favorite) but I think that there's more to him than meets the eye. And in case you are wondering, I am a diehard fan of Rick and Lisa.

Para los lectores en español - ¡gracias! Es un honor que me lean en otro idioma. Y si tienen preguntas, no duden en hacérmelas llegar.

Have a great week¡Feliz semana!


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

_**This chapter is dedicated to Ami-chan. Thank you for your input. Hope you enjoy it!**_

"**Broken Hearts"**

_I must be dreaming._

Rick rubbed his eyes as if he were a child that had woken up from a nap. He blinked a couple of times and focused on the man walking down the street, only to confirm that it was Lynn-Kyle. He frowned.

_Why in the world would he be at Lisa's place? _

It was a well-known fact that Kyle hated the military. An image of him yelling at Lisa came to his mind and he felt anger rising. He probably visited her to vent out his frustrations.

_Better check on Lisa,_ thought Rick hurrying towards her house.

He practically jumped the steps that led to her door and opened it with his key. Something in the back of his head told him that he should ring the bell but it was too late now.

"Lisa?" he called shutting the door behind him. Nothing seemed out of place.

_Guess she's okay,_ he said noticing the two mugs on the kitchen countertop.

He leaned against the wall as he breathed in the smell of fresh coffee. A sigh escaped from his lips as realized how much he had missed being at her place – being with her! He suddenly felt _home_.

"Rick!"

He practically jumped at the sound of her voice and turned towards the hall. Lisa was standing outside the bathroom door with a startled look on her face.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh…I…was in the neighborhood," he stuttered trying not to stare at her.

_She looks so beautiful!_

"Is something wrong?" she asked feeling her cheeks flush.

"No. I was just remembering," he took one of her wet tresses between his fingers, "the first time I saw your hair like this. Remember? On Breetai's ship?"

She smiled for a second full of melancholy and turned away from him. "That's not what I mean. Is there a reason why you're here?"

"I wanted to know if you were okay," he answered following her into the bedroom.

Lisa frowned as she disappeared in her walk-in closet. Had the news of her assault spread over the city? She pulled her uniform off the hanger.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Don't know. Maybe something interesting happened to you?"

_Interesting? _wondered Lisa zipping her skirt. "Nothing worth mentioning, Rick."

For a brief moment Rick thought that Kyle's visit was something _worth _mentioning but the sight of his sweats lying on the floor distracted him. He smiled, pleased at the thought that she'd been wearing them.

_She missed me!_

He had been waiting for this opportunity! Rick felt a sudden urge to tell her that he'd missed her too. He kneeled to pick up his clothes and discovered a man's undershirt with them.

"What are you doing, Rick?" asked Lisa stepping out in full uniform.

"What have _you_ been doing?" He showed her the clothes.

If Lisa was surprised, she didn't show it. She simply walked towards her vanity and began brushing her hair.

"Did you want to talk about anything in particular, Rick? My shift's about to start and--"

"What's going on, Lisa?" He approached her from behind.

"Just work and--"

"You know what I mean." Rick's reflection in the mirror told Lisa that he was upset.

"No, not really," she replied averting his gaze before standing. "Would you like some coffee?"

Rick clenched his jaw as she left the room and followed her into the kitchen. She turned her back to him and poured coffee into a cup. Sighing loudly, Rick grabbed her by the shoulders and made her face him.

"Rick! What in the world is wrong with you?"

His blue eyes fell on her face and he studied her carefully. There was a tint of sadness in her green eyes and they looked…puffy! Had she been crying?

"Are you okay, Lisa? Did anything happen?"

She pulled away and looked at him as if he were a three-year old. "I think I already answered your question, Rick."

"Stop it, Lisa!" He almost stomped his foot on the floor. "Tell me!"

"What?"

"I know."

Lisa gave him a blank stare, hoping her fears were unfounded.

"I saw him."

"Saw who?"

"Lynn-Kyle."

"Oh." Her heart fluttered a bit. Could it be that Rick was jealous?

"Oh? Is that all you have to say?"

"Well, I have nothing _else_ to say."

"What did he want? Why was he here?"

"Why would you care?" She looked at him full of hope.

"That's a dumb question! If he came here to threaten the RDF I think…"

His last words were lost to her. Rick Hunter had given her the last stab. She moved away from him and picked up her purse from the sofa.

"If you'll excuse me, my shift's about to start. I have to go."

Rick looked at her in disbelief as she opened the door. Lisa beckoned him with a gesture of her hand. He sulked.

"Aren't you going to answer my question, Lisa?"

"If there's anything you should know, you'll know in time," she answered as he stepped outside.

Rick felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He hated it when she acted with that air of superiority!

"And Rick…"

"Yeah?" He turned to her.

"I'm going to need my key back."

"Why?" he replied impulsively.

"I need it."

He stared at her in disbelief before tossing the key at her. She caught it in mid-air.

"How rude of you, Hunter!"

Rick was too angry to answer and walked away while Lisa fought back the impulse to run after him.

_What in the world is wrong with her?

* * *

_

Rick was fuming as he walked down the blocks towards his house. How could his peace effort gone so awry? For a brief moment, Rick had hoped to work things out with Lisa but it quickly faded when Lisa spoke to him in such a cold voice, especially after he mentioned Kyle. He had the feeling that Lisa was locking him out of her life – and he didn't like it one bit.

_Does she know about Minmei? _he wondered kicking a pebble.

He shook his head realizing that having the singer at his place was a mistake. If he wanted to patch things up with Lisa, he was going to have to ask Minmei to go back to her uncle's place and to Kyle.

_What was he doing at Lisa's? _

The image of Kyle leaving her place haunted him as well as the vision of the undershirt. He felt a pit form in his stomach and pushed those thoughts aside as he entered his house. He heard footsteps and prepared to deal with Minmei.

"Rick! You're home!" she squealed in delight.

"Hi Minmei!" He couldn't help smiling. She looked adorable in bunny printed pajamas.

"Where were you? You left me alone!" she said with mock indignation.

"I went for a run."

"Then you must be starving! Come with me!"

"Wait Minmei! We need to talk."

Something in his voice made her shiver but Minmei knew well how to manage him. She looped her arm with his and batted her eyelashes.

"First you have to eat!" she pulled him into the kitchenette. "Look what I made for you."

Rick's mouth watered as he saw the buffet she'd made for him. There were scrambled eggs, bacon, French toast, pancakes, coffee and juice.

"I hope you're hungry, Rick."

"Minmei, this is incredible!"

"You like?"

He nodded.

"Then start eating, silly!" she gently pushed him towards a chair.

"If you are not careful," he said after taking a few bites, "I could get used to this."

_And there is nothing I'd like more_, she told herself propping her elbows on the table to rest her face on her hands.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"You first," said Minmei pouring some juice for him.

_Maybe it won't be so bad having her here, _he thought with a smile.

* * *

Claudia had been watching Lisa with concern. Her best friend had been staring at a report on a desk for almost an hour without turning a page. She hadn't seen her this upset since Rick rescued Minmei from Khyron.

Lisa sighed unaware that Claudia was close to her. Rick's surprise appearance had made her heart flutter. She never expected him to be there without her invitation – not after their last tiff. Seeing him had made her forget about all the tears she had shed the night before. He seemed eager regarding her welfare except he turned out to be more concerned about the pacifist.

_How naïve of me to think that he cared!_ thought Lisa with remorse.

Claudia felt a pang in her heart when Lisa wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. It wasn't too hard to guess that Rick had something to do with the sadness written all over Lisa's face. She knew Lisa had been over his place last night to deliver his Christmas present. What could have possibly gone wrong?

_I wonder what he did this time, _she thought crossing her arms over her chest.

She recalled Lisa's teary face after discovering that Rick had stood her up to have a rendezvous with Minmei. Claudia had wanted to knock some sense into him (literally!) but Lisa had made her promise she wouldn't interfere.

_If_ _something doesn't put a quick end to this little duet they're dancing, I'm going to get myself transferred to the factory satellite, and I'm going to see to it that Lisa Hayes comes with me. (1)_

Claudia placed a soft hand over Lisa's shoulder. The younger woman seemed startled and rapidly turned in her seat.

"Sorry if I scared you, honey."

"It's okay," responded Lisa with a fake smile, "What's up?"

"You tell me. How did everything go last night?" asked Claudia sitting on the edge of her desk.

"I still have the present. Does that answer the question?"

"What happened?"

"I just changed my mind, that's all." Lisa shrugged.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

"Okay, you're not lying but that's not the whole reason why you didn't give him the present. What did he do to you? And, don't lie to me. You know I have superpowers."

Lisa chuckled.

"That's my girl," said Claudia full of affection. "I didn't know how much longer I could take such a long face. Wanna go to lunch?"

"I'm not really hungry."

"Well, you still have to eat something," she said tugging Lisa's arm. "Come on. I heard they're preparing lasagna, that's your favorite, right?"

_To be continued…

* * *

_

(1) Taken from "Doomsday" by Jack McKinney, pg. 443 "The Collected Letters of Claudia Grant.

Have a great week! I look forward to hearing from y'all!


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

Minmei took a deep breath before opening the door to the restaurant.

_Please! Let there be no one,_ she begged silently.

She didn't have the courage to face her aunt and uncle. She felt as if she were betraying them - and Kyle- by leaving. The singer sighed in relief when she confirmed that the place was empty.

_I shouldn't think about him! He abandoned me!_

Kyle had broken her heart the night he left. It was true that they had grown apart during the past two years but deep inside her, Minmei always thought he'd be with her. She thought he would always take care of her. He had promised it when they left the SDF-1.

She pulled a suitcase out from the closet and placed it on her bed. Minmei turned to open her drawers and shrieked. A pair of gray eyes was staring at her.

"Kyle! What are you doing her? You scared me!"

"This is my parent's home," he replied calmly, "and I came to Macross when I heard you had disappeared. Glad to see you're okay."

"I'm a big girl, Kyle. I can take care of myself. I don't need you."

"I can see that." His eyes fell on her suitcase.

"Don't you want to know where I'm going?"

"On a tour?"

"I'm moving in with Rick."

He nodded at her news but he didn't object as Minmei expected. He simply leaned his long figure against the doorframe and watched her pack.

"And you can't stop me," she added as if she were expecting a reaction.

"I'm sure you know what you're doing, Minmei."

"I do! You don't need to worry about me, okay?"

"Okay."

"You don't have to stay in town for me, Kyle. You can go wherever you want."

"I know."

She frowned. What was going on with Kyle? Why was he acting so distant? Why wasn't he arguing with her?

"Well, I'm going to take a nap. Make sure you lock the door when you leave, Minmei," said the pacifist turning towards the hallway.

The petite girl looked at him with incredulity. He was walking down the hallway towards his room. Why was he acting as if he didn't care?

_Maybe he doesn't_, whispered a voice in her head.

That couldn't be true! No one had ever stopped loving her. Her fans still adored her…and so did Rick.

"Won't you help me with my luggage?" she asked in a final attempt to grab his attention.

"You're a big girl, Minmei. I'm sure you'll manage," replied Kyle before closing the door behind him.

Minmei pouted.

_Have I lost my charm?

* * *

_

On another side of the base, Rick was landing his Veritech. The mecha had barely stopped when he was already raising the canopy. The mechanics gave him a curious look as he jumped onto the landing strip.

"Damn it!" he mumbled as he took his helmet off.

_Something's really bugging him!_ thought Max descending from his blue aircraft.

Everyone around them seemed to notice it because they were steering clear of his direction.

"Hey skipper!"

Rick turned and glowered at him. "I'm not your skipper!"

The blue-haired pilot let a low whistle escape from his lips, unfazed by Rick's outburst.

"You got it real bad. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he said hastening his steps in hopes of losing his friend.

"Did you have a fight with Lisa?" Max trekked closely behind him.

Rick rolled his eyes. "Why would you think that?"

"Easy. You get real moody whenever you have guys have an argument," he said non-chalantly.

"You know darn well that we haven't spoken in a while, Max."

"Didn't you get your gift last night?" Max winced regretting his words.

Rick turned to look at his friend. "Last night? What are you talking about?"

"Uh, nothing."

"Don't give me that, Max. What's going on?"

The ace-pilot sighed. "A few of us were out last night having some eggnog…and convincing Lisa to forgive you."

"Forgive _me_?"

"Don't act so surprised, Rick. We all know what you did to her."

"Damn! I didn't know my private life was actually public," he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, maybe if you and Lisa stopped fighting over the com net."

"We never fight over the net. We are professional to the utmost."

"Sure you are," Max mocked him.

"Whatever. So?" he pressed his friend to continue.

"When we said our goodbyes, I heard Lisa tell the cabbie to take her to your place."

The two men walked in silence towards the officers club. Rick frowned as he thought about Max's words.

"What did you do this time, skipper?" asked Max as they sat at a table.

"Why does it always have to be me?"

Max held back a smile and gave his friend a paternal pat on the back.

"I'm sure you guys will work it out."

"I'm not so sure," he paused and turned to his friend. "Minmei's spent the night at my place."

"Oh."

Rick gave his friend a shove. "Is that all you can say?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"That I'm an idiot…or that I'm the luckiest guy in the world."

"Which would you prefer?"

"You're not helping, Max."

"Isn't this what you've been waiting for?"

"I honestly don't know," he looked at his friend full of confusion. "Minmei showed up at my door last night, looking like the girl I met years ago…so young, so innocent…"

"Go on."

"And she asked to stay with me. What could I do? Say no? She's my friend."

"And the girl you've been in love with forever, right?"

Rick shrugged. "I used to believe that…but right now I really don't know."

"I hope you're not expecting Lisa to wait for you to make up your mind," said Max sternly.

"Who's side are you on?" he asked miffed.

"On the side of justice." Max said it so righteously that they both laughed.

"Do you want my honest opinion, skipper?"

"Yes."

Max reflected on the words to say. "I think Lisa deserves more than you'll ever be able to give her."

Rick gave him such an upset look that the spectacled pilot prepared to cover. "You asked me to be honest, Rick."

"Why are you taking her side?"

Max wondered if Rick knew how spoiled he sounded.

"I'm trying to be objective, skipper. Captain Hayes is an extraordinary person and she deserves to be happy. You know she's been pining for you forever, so why--"

"I have my doubts, Max."

"What are you talking about? The woman cleans your place, for Pete's sake!"

"Used to," he corrected his friend.

"What did you expect after the stunts you've pulled? Forgive her for showing some dignity and respect," replied Max with a frown.

"If you like her so much…"

"Don't be ridiculous. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"You need to be married," he smiled, "only then you'll be able to understand the sacrifices and patience a person in love needs to have in order to have a relationship."

"Right…"

"I think Captain Hayes has reached her limits, Rick."

"You make it sound like I haven't made any compromises."

"Have you?"

"Yes and until last night no one besides Lisa has stayed at my place."

Max looked at his friend with curiosity. "What are you talking about?"

"I went to see her this morning and there was another man's shirt on her floor," he confided.

"Are you sure about that?" said Max in a condescending tone. "Sure it wasn't yours?"

"Of course I'm sure! Think I wouldn't recognize my clothes?"

Against his better judgment, Max chuckled. Rick's fist landed on his arm.

"Not funny!"

"Sorry!" Max tried to control his laughter. "Did you ask her?"

"Of course I did! But she ignored my question."

"Oh."

"Yeah, that's what I said," replied Rick mockingly.

"No wonder your upset."

"That's not all," Rick lowered his voice. "I saw Kyle leaving her place."

"So? You can't possible be thinking that she and Kyle--"

"I don't know." He shook his head.

"She's in love with you, man. She wouldn't do that to you!"

"Stop saying that! Lisa has never said she loves me."

Max shook his head in amazement.

"Don't look at me like that, Max. Yes, Lisa and I have something going on but it's never been about love…at least I don't think so."

_How dense can he be?_ wondered Max. _Does he need neon signs?

* * *

_

"Oh no!"

Lisa stopped dead in her tracks and Claudia practically collided with her back.

"What's wrong?"

"Rick is here and I really don't feel like talking to him."

"Who says we have to?" Claudia frowned. "Maybe they won't see us."

"No such luck," answered Lisa waving at Max who had spotted them from the moment they arrived.

"We don't have to eat with them."

"I know," she Lisa picking her tray though secretly she wished they did.

Back at the table, Rick was scolding his friend.

"Why did you do that, Max?"

"Why not? Claudia and Lisa are great company," he replied innocently.

"Yeah but--"

"Pipe down, skipper. Here they come."

Max, ever the gentleman rose to his feet to greet them. "Care to join us, ladies?"

"Sure," replied Lisa before Claudia could decline. "Hello Rick."

"Hello," he replied without looking at her.

"Hello Captain Hunter," said Claudia icily. She wanted to kick him!

"Hello Claudia." _What's with her?_

Lisa gently nudged her friend's foot while she chatted with Max.

"How are you, Max? How's Miriya and Dana?"

"Doing wonderfully," he gave her a proud smile. "She started walking yesterday."

"That's amazing!"

"She's a little wonder," agreed Max.

Rick was finishing his plate under the scrutinizing gaze of Claudia Grant. He had the feeling she wanted to strangle him. The pilot gave her a cautious smile. Her face remained stone cold.

"If you'll excuse me," said Rick rising, "I have to go."

"Sure, skipper," replied Max hiding his surprise.

Rick saluted them, half-seriously, half-jokingly and left the table. Claudia and Max exchanged glances while Lisa stared at her plate.

"Lisa, are you alright?" asked Claudia noticing that her best friend paled.

"I'm fine," she said touching her forehead. "I'm just hot."

"Hot?" repeated Max.

"Yes. It's so hot," said Lisa closing her eyes. "I need a glass of wa--"

"Lisa!"

At the sound of Claudia's voice, everyone turned towards her table only to notice that Lisa was slumping in her seat.

* * *

Kyle heard the door slam and he peeked over the balcony. Minmei was standing on the curb hailing a cab. It wasn't too long before one stopped and she was on her way.

_What Minmei wants, Minmei gets,_ he thought full of bitterness.

He knew she had spent the night at Hunter's but he never fathomed she would move in with him. Had she been serious? Or had she been provoking him as he suspected? Kyle walked into her room only to confirm there were dresses and other items missing from her closet and drawers.

Kyle felt rage. For years, he had fought to keep it under control but now he just couldn't help it. He walked towards Minmei's nightstand and hauled the lamp against the wall. Using his arm as a scoop, he threw the colored bottles on the floor. A few of them broke and the smell of her perfume inundated the room.

"Why?"

His fist smashed against the mirror and it cracked in the middle. A second fist loosened the pieces and they fell except for one. Kyle looked at his distorted image, his gray eyes staring back at him with disbelief. He hated the face that was looking at him and tore off the last piece of glass with his hand. His fingers closed tightly around it, the edges cutting into his skin, the blood spilling over his wrist and arm.

_There's only one more thing to do_, Kyle thought wildly, _only one thing…_

_To be continued…

* * *

_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

Claudia was nervously pacing along the corridor. It had been over an hour since Lisa was admitted into the emergency room and she still had no news on her friends' condition. A nurse appeared around the corner and approached her.

"Commander Grant?" asked the young woman.

"Yes?"

"Please come with me. Captain Hayes is awake."

The older woman sighed in relief and followed the nurse down the hallway towards a room at the end of the building. She reached the door as a man dressed in a robe was exiting the room.

"Commander Grant?" A waited for her to nod before continuing. "I'm Dr. Sanders. "

"How is she?"

"She'll be fine. She just needs some rest. She's exhausted. Too much stress if you ask me."

"Well, who wouldn't be stressed during reconstruction, doctor?"

"That I understand but what I don't are her bruises."

"Bruises?" Claudia's faced revealed surprise.

"The only reason why I'm mentioning this Commander is because you are listed as her next-of-kin," he said in a low voice, "has she been in an accident?"

"No, not that I know of."

"Does she have a violent boyfriend?"

"Violent boyfriend?"

"Someone beat her, Commander, all over her ribs. Nothing's broken but whoever did it deserves some punishing."

"Oh my gosh!"

"Captain Hayes insists that she had an accident but I'm not buying it, Commander. Maybe you can convince her of telling the truth."

"I'll try." She nodded faintly wondering what could have happened to her friend.

"I'll be back in a while…and I'll need to file a report."

"I understand," replied Claudia still shocked.

"And please make sure she doesn't escape. Captain Hayes is quite determined on leaving the hospital tonight – and that isn't going to happen."

Claudia took a few deep breaths before entering the room. Lisa's eyes lit up when she saw her friend.

"How are you feeling, Lisa?"

"I'm fine. Just embarrassed. I can't believe I fainted!"

"The doctor says you need some rest, Lis."

"He's exaggerating. I feel fine! All I want to do is go home."

"Sorry to disappoint you, dear. Dr. Sanders wants to keep you here overnight."

"But I don't want to stay," she cried as spoiled brat.

"You have to," said Claudia sitting on the edge of her bed.

"There's no need."

"It's for your own good…and safety."

"Safety?"

"What happened to you, Lisa?"

The question took her by surprise and she felt her cheeks sting.

"What are you talking about, Claudia?"

"The doctor says you are…bruised. What happened?"

"Oh, that! I fell," she lied.

"You fell?"

"I was jogging and I tripped. Can you imagine? What a klutz!"

Lisa tried to laugh it off but Claudia wasn't buying it. Her best friend gave her a stern look.

"What happened last night? Did things get ugly between you and Rick?"

"What?! No! Rick would never…how can you even think that?"

"Just checking."

"Gosh Claudia!"

"We all know you were going to his place last night. What happened?" Claudia placed her hand over her friends. "Will you tell me?"

Lisa felt tears filling her eyes and she took a deep breath. "It's embarrassing, Claudia. I was real stupid."

"That's okay. We've all been stupid once or twice."

"But this is really bad. What will you think of me?"

"What I've always thought," she smiled warmly, "nothing's going to change that."

"I know," Lisa smiled weakly. "I don't know where to start…"

"How about the beginning?"

"Duh!" said Lisa before smiling. "I guess that's the right place."

* * *

"Oh my gosh!" shouted Lena Lynn opening the door of Minmei's room.

Someone had emptied her drawers, closet and night stand. Her clothes was lying all over the room as well as her books and personal items. The sweet smell of her perfume inundated the room and she knew the bottles were broken.

"What happened?" asked Max appearing behind his wife.

"A burglar!" replied Lena.

"No. I did it," said a flat voice.

They both turned towards the corner of her room and felt their hearts stop. Kyle was looking at them with a satisfied smile on his handsome face. Lena and Max exchanged worried glances; they could feel the anger emanating from his body.

"Why?" asked his mother approaching him.

"Why? Because she left us. She doesn't need us, so why keep her things?"

Lena could hear the hurt in his face and placed her hand over his cheek. Kyle flinched and moved away. His mother's eyes opened in bewilderment.

"Your hair!"

"Aren't you going to say something, father?" Kyle looked at Max. "I finally did it. You must be happy."

He wasn't. It was true that he had pestered Kyle into cutting his long locks since he was fifteen but he had given up that fight a while ago.

"You're bleeding," replied Max reaching for his wrist.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not," insisted Max holding tight. "Let me see."

"I can take care of myself!" said Kyle pulling away with a snarl.

"We know that," said a worried Lena, "but we're your parents…and we love you."

Kyle winced. The words had taken him by surprise. It had been so long since he had heard those words that he forgot the impact they could have in him. His eyes softened for a second but he turned his back on them.

"Don't worry about me," he said before reaching the stairs.

"Kyle wait!"

"Let him be, Lena," said Max holding his wife.

"He's hurt," she said with tearful eyes.

"It's more than physical…and there's nothing we can do about it."

Lena nodded and hugged her husband sorrowfully. Once again, she confirmed they had lost Kyle and wondered when it had happened.

* * *

Minmei was happily humming as she unpacked her suitcase in Rick's room. She managed to empty a few of his drawers and placed her belongings in them. Wrinkling her forehead, she wondered what to do with his clothes and decided that the closet would be the best place.

_I'm sure he won't mind_, she thought placing some of his casual clothes on the racks hanging in the walk-in closet. Her eyes fell on a female uniform hanging next to his and she frowned.

It must be _hers_.

Lisa's. Minmei knew it was absurd to think that during their years of separation, he had been faithful to her – she hadn't – but it still upset her. She rapidly unhung it and decided she'd get rid of it.

The singer walked towards the living room and noticed a photo album on the coffee table. She sat on the sofa with a smile and decided to leaf through the pages. Her smile rapidly turned to a frown.

_Lisa, Lisa, and more Lisa!_ she thought unhappily.

Beside the uniform, it was obvious that Lisa played an important role in Rick's life. The album was full of pictures of them with friends. She couldn't pretend they were business meetings because they were dressed casually and looked like they were having tons of fun.

_How could he like that woman? She's so old!_

Old or not, Rick seemed to be into her. She found a set of pictures that seemed to have been taken in one of those old-fashioned booths where there was minimal space and Lisa was sitting on his lap. In the first picture, her arms were around his neck and she was kissing his cheek. In the next, his arm was around her neck and he was pointing his index and middle finger at her forehead as if they were a pistol. She had a face of fake shock. In the third one, he was kissing her cheek while he gave her bunny ears. The fourth one stung her heart. Rick was kissing her on the lips.

Minmei closed the album and threw it on the table with a thud.

* * *

Max's mecha was approaching his squadron when Rick's face appeared on his screen.

"Glad to see you finally decided to join us, Commander Sterling."

Maximillian swallowed hard. It was obvious that Rick was upset at him but he wondered if it was because of his tardiness or because of Lisa.

"My apologies, Skull-Leader. I got detained by--"

"Save it!" Rick cut him off sharply. "We have a situation with malcontents. We've been asked to head towards New Portland City, so I'm afraid you won't be home tonight."

"I understand," mumbled Max wondering if he should tell Rick about Lisa.

"I'm sure they'll advise, Miriya."

"Of course. Rick…"

"Over and out, Sterling. Keep the channels clear for further instructions."

_Sterling? _

The ace-pilot shrugged and decided no to tell him about Lisa's condition. At least not until they solved the problem with the malcontents. He was well aware that emotions needed to be in check before a battle and he knew that even though Rick pretended there was nothing going on with Lisa, he would be worried when found out she was in the hospital.

_Hope she's okay, _thought Max before hitting his thrusters to position himself next to Rick's wing.

* * *

Night had fallen over New Macross City. Lynn-Kyle had been drinking most of the night and had left the bar when they had practically kicked him out. He didn't want to go home. He didn't want to face the sad look him mother had given him. It was much easier to be on the streets, walking in no particular direction.

It was good that everyone was asleep because Lynn-Kyle looked like a madman. The alcohol and the anger had given him blood-shot eyes. It didn't help that his hair looked as if it had been cut by a three-year old or that his hand was wrapped in a blood soaked bandaged. A MP jeep slowed down next to him and one of the officers called out his name. Kyle shot them a dirty look and continued his path.

"Are you Lynn-Kyle?" repeated the MP.

"Yes, so?" he replied nastily.

"We need to talk to you."

"That's a shame because I have nothing to tell you."

"Stop!" said the MP jumping off the jeep with another officer. Both men blocked Kyle's path.

"What is it?!" he replied annoyed.

"You need to come with us."

"I told you I have nothing to say to you. If it's about the manifest--"

"No, it's in regards to the assault of Captain Hayes and--"

"What?" His eyes opened in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"No, sir. Please come with us."

"No! You hear me? No!"

"Sir, we don't want to use force. This is the last time--"

"Force? I dare you!" replied Kyle throwing a punch.

It connected on the MP's jaw and he stumbled. Almost immediately, his partner and the other two men in the jeep jumped towards Kyle with rifles in their hands. The kung-fu expert eyed them dangerously.

"You're going to regret this!" he bellowed before going against them.

Kyle was strong and agile but the alcohol in his blood proved to be his weakness – and it didn't take the MPs to long to figure it out. They managed to throw him on the ground and cuffed him.

"You sons of…"

A punch landed on his face shutting him up and making him spit blood.

"Now, you're coming with us, pacifist! Like it or not!"

Kyle promised himself that someone was going to pay for this.

_To be continued…

* * *

_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

The sun had risen over Macross City and a fully uniformed Lisa was signing her declaration in front of an officer. The man's radio buzzed and a voice came over the airwave.

"Custody?" repeated the officer with surprise in his voice.

Lisa's green eyes fell on him and the man smiled nervously as he rose from the chair. He excused himself and stepped outside the room. She saw him gesture angrily as he spoke into the radio.

_Good grief!_ Thought Lisa shaking her head. _Just what we need…_

A few minutes later, the officer, named McAdams, entered her room.

"It seems…there was a bit of confusion, Captain Hayes," he said sheepishly.

"Confusion?"

"Lynn-Kyle was – erroneously – placed in custody but I've ordered his immediate release, so there is no need to worry." McAdams smiled.

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Lisa lacing her fingers under her chin.

"Excuse me?"

"If I were you, Lt. McAdams, I'd prepare myself for a lawsuit."

* * *

Commander Grant walked into the bridge with a tired look on her face.

"Claudia!" shouted the girls before running towards her.

"How's Lisa?" asked Sammie placing a mug of coffee in her hands.

"Is she coming back today?" wondered Kim.

"Can we go see her?" wondered Vanessa taking her headset off.

The senior officer took a sip of the precious liquid before answering.

"She's doing fine. She won't be in today and she should be home by noon," she replied looking at them with a smile.

"Then, she's okay?" asked Sammie with concern in her voice.

"She just needs some rest. The doctor says she's suffering from severe stress."

"And I bet it's not only about reconstruction," commented Kim slyly.

Claudia opened her mouth to admonish her but decided to remain quiet. She understood that Kim's comment was product of her affection for her senior officer. After all, they were like sisters.

"She'll be back soon enough," said Claudia placing a comforting hand over the shorthaired girl.

"Is that so?"

The four women turned to see Gloval entering the bridge. It wasn't too often that he abandoned his old office in the SDF-1 to come into the new fortress. The girls saluted him.

"At ease," he said smiling, "I know you girls respect me."

They smiled. Only Gloval could call them "girls". Anyone else had to call them women – female liberation hadn't occurred for nothing! The Terrible Trio turned on their feet and returned to their stations.

"So, how's our girl?" he asked Claudia.

"Fine, Captain Gloval. She just needed some rest. The doctor is letting her go home today but asked her to take a few days off before coming back to the bridge."

"Knowing Lisa, I doubt she'll listen," commented Gloval searching his pocket and displaying his pipe.

"The only way she'll take a few days off is if you order them, captain," commented Claudia.

"I know," he bit the edge of his pipe, "and I think I know exactly what'll do."

"Oh?" replied Claudia curiously.

The sound of an alarm went off and Gloval raised his eyes from underneath his cap.

"What's going on?"

"A cruiser is approaching New Macross!" replied Vanessa looking into her screen.

"What?" asked Claudia as she ran to her computer.

"It's flying at such low height that we didn't detect it until now," explained Vanessa.

"Attention all fighters! This is not a drill! All pilots to their assigned positions!" chanted Sammie.

"Who's on duty?" asked Gloval.

"Vermillion Team," replied Sammie looking into her screen, "but Skull-Team is closer to the target."

* * *

Lisa wasn't surprised when the door to her hospital room was slammed open. However, she _was_ surprised to see Kyle with short hair; her hand flew to her mouth as her heart skipped a beat. His resemblance to Karl Riber had increased a ten-fold with his new haircut.

"What in the world is wrong with you people?" shouted Kyle pointing is finger at Lt. McAdams and Lisa.

"If you give me a minute--" began McAdams.

"Do you see this?" Kyle pointed at his swollen lip. "This is called assault and someone's gonna pay for it!"

_Oh my!_ thought Lisa closing her eyes briefly.

"And you!" Kyle turned to Lisa. "I can't believe it! You accused me! _Me?"_

"Listen here, buddy!" said McAdams losing his temper, "You better pipe down! You're talking to a senior officer here."

"I'm not your buddy!" replied Kyle stepping angrily towards him. "And I don't care about your ranks. I care about my rights! The rights you violated last night when you forced me on the ground and threw me in jail like a common criminal!"

"Is this true?" Lisa turned to McAdams with a stern look.

"He…wasn't cooperating, captain and--"

Lisa shook her head and raised her hand to quiet him. McAdams bit his tongue, preparing himself for a reprimand. He heard Lisa sigh tiredly.

"Lt. McAdams, would you give us some privacy?"

The man gave her concerned look.

"I'll be fine. I seriously doubt Mr. Lynn will hurt me."

"As you wish, captain. I'll be outside if you need me."

McAdams gave Kyle a threatening look before stepping outside. The pacifist followed him with a furious glare until the soldier shut the door.

"Kyle…"

The man turned at the sound of his name and saw that Lisa was looking at him with a strange glint in her green eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest before speaking.

"What happened? You needed to blame someone for your bruises and my name popped into your mind?"

"It's not what you're thinking, Kyle. If you'd only let me explain myself."

"Explanations? You're always full of explanations, aren't you?

Lisa knew he wasn't talking just about her.

"It's was a misunderstanding. I never said you were the stalker. I said you were a witness. I don't know how but somehow along the way they got the information mixed up."

He looked at her in disbelief.

"Wow! Is that the best excuse you have? Is that the type of excuse you use when the military messes up?"

He spoke with such venom in his voice that she winced.

"That's not fair, Kyle."

"Sounds a lot like the explanation you gave us for the destruction of our planet."

"Destruction? We're still alive, Kyle and so is the planet!"

"You can't be serious. Have you looked around? And I don't mean around the city. I mean outside, where the land is dry and devastated, where there is no water and there are thousands of homeless."

"Well, if we're doing such a crappy job, why don't you step in? I don't see you involved in the reconstruction," said Lisa glaring at him. "I only see you griping."

He sulked and seemed at a loss for words. Lisa took a deep breath before stepping towards him. His gray eyes every one of her movements with distrust.

"Did we do that?" asked Lisa pointing at the bloody bandage around his hand.

"No," replied Kyle hiding his hand behind his back.

Something in his voice told Lisa that he had done it to himself.

"What--?"

An explosion interrupted her sentence. Kyle and Lisa turned their heads towards the window only to see an orange wave across the distance and coming towards them.

"Watch out!" said Kyle reaching for her and burying her under his body.

* * *

"Skull-One this is Delta-One, do you copy?"

Sammie's face appeared on his screen and Rick couldn't help wondering if Lisa had switched shifts with the petite blond again in order to avoid him.

"Loud and clear, Sammie."

"Skull-One we have a destroyer approaching New Macross--"

"What?" Rick couldn't hide his surprise. "A destroyer?"

Sammie didn't bother to respond. She was busy downloading the coordinates of the coordinate for Rick's squadron.

"Battlepods have already begun their advance towards the city, captain and Vermillion Team has been deployed for defense and back-up. Do you copy?"

"Roger that, Sammie. We're on our way. Over and out!"

Rick pressed a button on his console and gave the new orders to his team. In synch, they shifted their mechas to form a V as they turned towards the outskirts of New Macross City.

"A destroyer," mumbled Rick tiredly. "When will this end?"

Max's face appeared on Rick's screen. There was a worrisome look on the blue haired pilot. His commander regarded him with concern.

"What's up, Max? Worried about Miriya?"

"No," Max hesitated. "I hate doing this right now Rick but--"

"Just say it, Max."

"Lisa's in the hospital."

Rick remained silent.

"The hospital is in the target area," continued Max.

"I know that!" Rick shook his head in disbelief. "She's in the hospital? How do you know?"

"That's why I was late for patrol. She fainted and--"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, we're not supposed to get emotional before battle."

"And you think _this_ is the right moment to tell me?"

"I think you should know that the woman you love is in danger, skipper, that's all."

Rick shut off his screen and pressed the accelerator as his heart beat rapidly.

_The woman I love._

_To be continued…

* * *

_

Hello! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Your reviews mean the world to me. I appreciate every single one of them. Thank you!

My apologies for the delay in posting but work took over. I've had 10 non-stop days but finally managed to sit down and put my thoughts into writing.

In case you're wondering – this IS a Rick and Lisa fic. Just wait and see. Thanks for reading!

See you next week.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

"Skull-One this is Delta- One, the hospital has been hit. What is your ETA to the area?"

Sammie's voice came calm and collected through the net but he knew she feigned.

"T-minus 10, Delta-One. Any damage?"

At the bridge of the SDF-1, Vanessa and Kim exchanged glances. Something in Rick's voice told them that he knew Lisa was in danger.

"All communication has been lost, captain," responded Sammie.

"Roger. We're on our way, Delta-One. I'll keep you posted."

"Roger. Over and out." Sammie sighed as Rick's face faded from her screen.

* * *

Alarms were going off all around them as they woke from their daze. The sprinkler system had been activated and Kyle frowned as he felt water falling over his body. Lisa moaned underneath him and he pulled away.

"Are you okay?" he asked full of concern.

Lisa coughed as she nodded, her wet tresses sticking to her face. Her green eyes fell on his face and she noticed he had a couple of scrapes on his cheeks.

"What happened?" she asked still a bit stunned.

He shrugged and offered her a hand. They both rose and a look of disbelief appeared on their faces. Kyle's jaw literally dropped.

"Zentraedis!" said Lisa.

She stood dumbfounded, watching the destruction scene before them. The Battlepods were stomping over the buildings, destroying whatever was in their path. And, by the direction they were heading, Lisa knew the SDF-1 was the objective.

_I've got to return to base!_

Lisa turned in her feet and ran towards the door.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Something held her back and she stopped in her tracks. Her green eyes fell on Kyle's hand holding her arm.

"You shouldn't leave."

"Let me go. I have to return to my ship."

"In this chaos?"

"Chaos or not, I have a duty," she replied tugging away.

A gasp escaped from her lips as she opened the door. Her wing had been severely hit; most windows had been blown out as well as many walls. Doctors and nurses were scrambling all over the floor, moving patients out of their rooms into safer areas.

"The children's wing has been hit!" she heard a nurse say.

_Children! _thought Lisa full of concern.

"Let's go!"

It was Kyle. Lisa looked at him in surprise.

"The SDF-1--"

"There's no way you're going to make it out of here with those giants outside. The children need help," said Kyle with an intense look in his gray eyes.

Kyle's words made sense and she nodded as she ran down the hallway with him besides her.

* * *

Clouds of smokes rose into the skies and the hearts of the Skull-Team pilots sank.

"We're late!" moaned one of them.

"They've destroyed it all!" said another.

It seemed as if Reconstruction had never taken place. The new buildings were gone and in their place, there was nothing but rubble. Flames rose and Rick knew that they had hit a gas pipe.

_The hospital's still standing_, thought Rick full of hope.

"Prepare to engage," said Rick over the net. "Let's teach these guys a lesson."

"Yes sir!" they all replied.

"Once Vermillion arrives, we'll head for the destroyer. Over and out!"

Rick accelerated towards the hospital while half of his team followed him. He swallowed hard when the partially destroyed hospital appeared before him.

_Please let her be safe. _

The Zentraedi soldiers became aware of his presence and they shifted their attack towards him.

"It won't be that easy," uttered Rick shifting into Battleoid.

His eyes searched for the leader of the pack and he found him firing at the hospital's electrical plant. He deployed his gun and aimed at the Battlepods weak spot; the spot Miriya had revealed to them years ago in space. The ostrich-like mecha fell over.

"That was a warning!" said Rick over the loudspeaker. "This is Captain Hunter of the RDF forces. I order your immediate surrender."

"No! Continue battle!" replied the Zentraedi soldier emerging from the fallen Battlepod.

"Stop this nonsense!"

"We are Zentraedi! We win or we die!"

Rick's blue eyes opened in surprise as the Zentraedi fired at him. He raised his arms in reflex to cover himself and so did Skull-One. The bullets bounced on his armor as he lifted into the sky. Max's blue Veritech appeared by his side.

"Are you alright, boss?"

"Yeah," he replied annoyed at the futility of his request.

"Shoot to kill?" asked on of Skull-One's members through the net.

"No!" replied Rick. "You know the rules."

"We know them, captain, but, do they?"

"No more deaths, lieutenant."

The pilot gritted his teeth.

"All pilots aim for the articulation," ordered Rick.

The Battlepods began to topple over as Vermillion Team appeared in the skies. A look of sadness crossed Miriya's voice.

_How can they do this?_ She wondered with pain in her heart.

The Zentraedi soldiers began emerging from their Battlepods and fleeing towards the outskirts. She switched to Battleoid mode and landed in their path with a gun in her hand. Her team imitated her.

"Skull-One, this is Vermillion-One," said Miriya's voice over the net, "we are ready to proceed with the malcontents, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear," replied Rick switching to V-mode. "Skull-Team follow me. We've got a cruiser to find."

Miriya smiled as her eyes caught a glimpse of a blue Veritech positioning itself next to Skull-One.

_Godspeed, my love.

* * *

_

Lisa, with a toddler in her arms, and Kyle were running towards the emergency room accompanied by several children. As they evacuated the children's wing, news came that the room was intact and that Veritechs had arrived at the scene.

_I wonder if it's Skull-One…_

Kyle kicked open a door and they found themselves in the emergency room. Nurses and doctors were still scrambling as they tended to the in-house patients that had been moved. The children looked at the scene before them with fear and whimpered. He frowned and looked over his shoulder, realizing there was an empty waiting room close-by.

"Follow me," he whispered as he passed her by.

She gave him a curious look but did as he asked.

"This will be better for them," said Kyle opening the door to the room.

The children let out cries of joy when they noticed a chest full of toys in a corner.

"Can we play?" asked one of them pulling at Lisa's skirt.

"Yes, sweetie, go ahead."

Lisa leaned forward to put down the toddler she had been carrying but he refused to let go. She smiled full of tenderness and sat on the sofa.

"Don't be afraid, little one," said Lisa soothingly.

The toddler looked at her with his big blue eyes and she felt a dull ache in her heart.

"Everything's okay."

He shook his head and buried it in her chest as he cried. She lifted her hand and soothed his brown hair as she began to sing a lullaby.

"Hush little baby, don't you cry, momma's gonna buy you a mocking bird…"

Kyle watched as she gently rocked the toddler and couldn't hide his surprise as a few of the children left their toys to sit around her. Lisa smiled as a pair of them rested their heads on her legs and began closing their eyes. It didn't take her more than ten minutes to have them all asleep.

"Amazing," whispered Kyle sitting on the carpet at the foot of the sofa.

"Isn't it?" replied Lisa with a twinkle in her eyes. "_This _is why we fight."

He decided to let it slide. For the moment, he understood what she meant.

* * *

Skull Team approached the cruiser with curiosity. They expected to see it ready for battle but instead it was grounded and in flames.

"Skull-One calling base," said Rick.

"This is base."

"Zentraedi cruiser has been destroyed and--"

"Good job, captain," replied Sammie.

"We didn't do it."

"What?"

"Did another team arrive before us?"

"No one but Skull-Team was assigned, Captain Hunter."

"Weird," mumbled Rick. "Well, the cruiser has been destroyed and Vermillion Team has gathered the malcontents. Situation is under control."

"Roger that, Skull-One. You have permission to return to base."

"Skull-One requesting permission to stop by the hospital."

"Are you hurt?" asked Sammie.

Rick felt his face turn red. "No…but…I'd like to stop and see if they need help."

"Sure," replied the petite blonde-haired woman sarcastically.

"Permission granted," said Gloval behind her.

Sammie practically jumped in her socks.

"Permission granted, Captain Hunter," she quickly repeated. "Over and out!"

Rick and his team turned around towards base, unknown to them that Khyron the Backstabber was staring at them from underground. He had destroyed the cruiser, annoyed at them for failing to demolish the city as he had requested.

_Wait and see, Micronians, you shall pay for the shame you've brought us._

_To be continued…

* * *

_

Hello! Thank you again for reading and reviewing. I know that most of you are waiting for a Rick and Lisa moment – and it's coming, just be a little patient, please!

A few of you are wondering what's up with Kyle and all I can say is that after reading the books I've come to like the guy. He really wasn't that bad, you know? I think he was lonely and very misunderstood. And Minmei wasn't of much help either.

I'm trying to keep my chapters short for a change. I usually type between 15-20 pages, so this is a challenge – but I hope it's keeping you interested.

Thanks again for reading!

Ja na!


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

**Este capítulo está dedicado a **_**blueazulacero. **_

**¡Muchas gracias por leer! Espero disfrutes de este capítulo.**

Lynn-Kyle shifted uncomfortably on his feet – and he didn't know why. He had been observing Lisa for a while as she caressed the toddlers' head; her slender fingers were soothing his brown hair as he slept in her arms. The other children had already been retrieved by the nurses but this one had refused to leave Lisa.

"Why are you here?"

His voice came out a little louder than he had expected and Lisa made him aware of it by placing her index finger over her lips.

"Sorry," mumbled Kyle sitting on an empty couch.

Lisa smiled as she pushed back a few dark tendrils from the toddler's forehead.

"Beautiful," whispered the woman.

"Yes, beautiful," repeated Kyle in a daze. He had never expected to see such a soft side in a military woman.

The door opened and a smiling nurse beckoned Lisa. She rose carefully from the sofa, trying not to wake the boy and walked towards her.

"His parents are here," explained the woman stepping aside.

A couple was standing behind her and their worried expressions changed into those of joy when they saw the bundle Lisa carried in her arms.

"He's alright," said Lisa placing the boy in the mother's arms.

"Thank you!" the woman hugged the boy as the father caressed his cheek. The boy opened his eyes and squealed full of delight at the sight of his parents.

"You don't need to thank me."

"That's what heroes usually say," said the father looking at Lisa. "We know what you did…and you."

The man looked at Kyle that stood silently in the room. And, though he didn't feel he deserved it, he nodded to acknowledge the man's kind words.

"Come now, we need to check on this little boy," said the nurse turning her back.

"Say goodbye, Jeremy." The woman raised the boy's hand and waved it.

"Goodbye, Jeremy," said Lisa as they walked away.

Sighing, she turned around and looked at Kyle. "So…"

The pacifist seemed at a loss for words. "So…," he repeated.

"Guess it's time to go home, huh?"

"If there's still something to call home," commented Kyle as Lisa kneeled to retrieve her shoes from under the sofa.

"Do you need to sound so bitter?"

Kyle frowned as Lisa put her shoes back on. "I'm just stating a fact."

"A _possible_ fact," she said correcting him. "Try being positive for a change, why don't you?"

"Why are you here?"

"What do you mean?" She looked at him in confusion.

"I mean, before the attack, you were already here. Were you sick?"

"Oh! Yes, well no."

"Yes or no?"

"Impatient, aren't you?" She adjusted the jacket of her uniform. "I guess you can say I was sick. I passed out yesterday at work."

"What?"

"I'm okay, just too much stress. The doctor kept me overnight to force some rest on me."

"Oh," He seemed relieved and Lisa chuckled as she patted him on the shoulder.

"Calm down! Your diagnosis was right, _Doctor_ Lynn."

He picked up on her joke and smiled, much to his bemuse.

_Handsome…if he only smiled some more,_ thought Lisa much to her own surprise.

"You should get that checked," said Lisa pointing at him.

"What?"

"Your hand."

Kyle's eyes fell on the frayed bandage. "I don't think it's of importance."

"Really?"

He wasn't expecting Lisa to press his hand with her fingers. A gasp escaped from his lips.

"You were saying?" said the woman crossing her arms over her chest.

"It only hurts when I smile," said the man a bit mortified.

Lisa shook her head and undid the makeshift bandage. She grimaced at the sight of the cut.

"What happened to you?"

He pulled his hand away rapidly and shrugged. "Nothing. It was just a dumb accident."

Kyle was lying and she could read it in his eyes. Something in his voice told her it had to do with Minmei. And, it didn't take the man too long to know that Lisa had figured it out. His eyes focused into space as if he were looking at something important.

"You…should get yourself checked," said Lisa brushing away dust from her skirt.

"I probably should…"

Lisa felt a wave of triumph. She looked at him cautiously as he let his "good" hand slip through his short hair.

_Karl…_

"Did you say something?" Kyle looked at her with curiosity.

The woman shook her head and cleared her throat before speaking.

"I wanted to…apologize to you, Kyle. I'm sorry about the MPs--"

"No need. I understand it was a mistake."

"I'm so sorry. Of all people--"

"A pacifist. What better opportunity to lock me up?"

"Will you let me finish my sentence, Mr. Lynn?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Of course! My apologies, Captain Hayes. I'm all ears."

Lisa had the feeling he was mocking her but she decided to continue.

"Thank you for helping me. The other night, if it weren't for you--"

"I only did what was needed."

"Thank you for being a gentleman…and for listening. I was such a mess…"

"It's alright. I understand. You know?"

The man gave her a meaningful glance and Lisa knew he felt the same pain she did. She felt a connection to Kyle that didn't exist before and without thinking, she leaned to kiss his cheek.

"Lisa! Are you okay?"

The senior officer and the pacifist turned, only to discover a surprised Rick Hunter staring at them. He shook his head in disbelief at the scene in front of him.

_Lisa, kissing Kyle?_

"Rick!" She stepped back feeling as if she had been caught stealing a candy. "What are you doing here?"

Rick's eyes fell on Kyle who was staring at him with no visible emotion on his face. The pilot stepped forward.

"I was worried about you. I just found out you were here and…"

Lisa's eyes widened as Rick embraced her. She felt as if all the air had been suddenly pushed out of her lungs. She was at a loss of words and remained motionless in his arms. The pilot's body was warm and it felt so nice.

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"

"Rick…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Lisa saw Kyle walk towards the door. She wanted to say something but nothing came out. The man touched his fingers to his forehead in a mock salute before walking out the room.

"Are you okay?" said Rick looking into her eyes. "When Max told me you were here, I couldn't believe it and then the Zentraedi…"

"I'm fine." She pulled back to face him.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that, Lisa?"

_Because you're with Minmei…aren't you? _Lisa wished she could say those words aloud.

"What?" Rick stared at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she unwrapped his arms from her waist and walked away.

"Wait!" The pilot grabbed her arm. "Talk to me. What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"You lie," His thumb and index finger held her chin up. "I can see it in your eyes."

His breath was warm against her cheeks and she felt weak.

"I know we argue a lot, Lis but can't you see how worried I was about you?"

His hands cupped her face and his lips reached for hers.

_Oh, Lord! _Lisa closed her eyes in anticipation.

"Rick!"

It was a cold bucket of water to hear Minmei's voice and they both jumped in their place.

"Rick! Thank goodness you're here!"

The petite woman walked towards them, oblivious to the fact that she had just interrupted a very romantic scene. Rick scratched his head uncomfortably as Lisa moved away from him.

"What happened to you?" wondered Rick, noticing she limped.

"I twisted my ankle," she replied slightly lifting her foot towards him, giving him a nice glance of her thigh.

Minmei hopped towards him as she looked at Lisa for the first time. "Hello Captain Hayes."

Lisa wanted to smack her – and Rick! Feeling her senses returning to her, Lisa walked towards the door.

"Lisa, wait!" said Rick full of grief.

"You've got your hands full, Captain Hunter. No need worrying about me."

"Wait!" He stepped forward but Minmei's body practically collided into his. The leader of Skull team gave the singer an annoyed look.

"Sorry," she smiled sweetly.

Rick looked towards the hall but Lisa had disappeared. Sighing, he turned his attention to Minmei.

"What happened to you?"

"I was shopping when the attack began," she explained, "and as I was running towards a shelter, I tripped. Oh, Rick! I was so scared! I had to crouch under a doorway. I couldn't walk. I'm here because an ambulance brought me, and when I saw Skull-One, I knew you I was safe!"

"You need to see a doctor," said Rick looking at her swollen ankle.

"Will you carry me? I can't walk anymore."

"Sure, why not?" he replied coldly.

Minmei rested her head on his shoulder as he walked her to the examination room. She felt as if she were in the arms of Prince Valiant – while Rick felt as he had the weight of the world on his shoulders or rather, his arms.

"I'm so glad I found you," whispered the girl into his ear.

She expected him to reply, to say something sweet but he remained quiet. Not willing to give up, she tickled his ear with one of her tresses.

"Stop that," he said pulling away.

She pouted and rolled her eyes. Rick was definitely in a mood and she couldn't help wondering if it had something to do with Lisa.

_Speaking of…_

Her blue eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of the "old sourpuss" walking out of the emergency room with…Kyle?

_It can't be…_

But it had to be him. She recognized his stride, his body, even if the long hair was gone. He seemed to be enthralled in conversation with the senior officer.

_He's even smiling! _

Her brows furrowed as she noticed Lisa holding his hand to inspect the bandage. She felt a dull ache in her heart and it didn't help that Rick practically dropped her on a stretcher.

"Stay here," he ordered.

"Ouch!" Minmei gave his a dirty look. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be back," he replied courtly.

_Darn Minmei! _Thought Rick as he walked down the corridor looking for Lisa.

He knew Minmei had purposely acted like that in front of Lisa. Maybe Max was right. Maybe he should ask her to leave because she was a threat to his relationship with Lisa.

_Relationship. _Rick smiled wryly. It was actually the first time he acknowledged what they had like that. It had only taken a threat on Lisa's life to make him realize it.

"Have you seen Captain Hayes?" he asked a nurse.

"You just missed her! She just left with Mr. Lynn."

Rick's frown made the nurse wonder what on Earth she had said wrong. The pilot thanked her and stepped towards a window as he silently cursed the pacifist.

_What is going on?_

The scene he had interrupted replayed in his head. At first impression Rick had thought she was about to whisper something to Kyle but had Lisa been about to kiss him?

_No way!_

He remembered seeing Kyle leaving Lisa's house. He remembered the undershirt. Rick shook his head in disbelief and leaned his forehead on the surviving window. His blue eyes widened as he saw her walking towards a military jeep accompanied by Kyle.

Rick felt a strange ache in his heart as Kyle took seat next to her.

* * *

Hello!

Should I duck? I have a feeling a few of you want to throw something at me…but, it just couldn't be that easy for Rick, don't you agree? The boy's got to make up his mind and fast!

It may look like it but I promise you this is not a Kyle – Lisa fic. Wait and see.

Okay, two more broken hearts…let's see how we fix this.

See ya soon! And thank you again for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

_Another year…another war?_

Rick sighed as he lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. New Years had come without the expected bang. Most of the citizens were still in shock after Khyron's attack on Christmas day and on the reconstructed area. Cranes were once again in place, rebuilding what the Zentraedi rebel forces destroyed so easily. Most pilots remained on-call and on alert.

_I'm so tired._

He knew it has to do more with his emotions than the mere patrolling he had been doing for the past 72 hours. It had to do with Lisa and the image of her leaving the hospital in company of Lynn-Kyle.

_When did they become friends?_

Rick frowned at the thought that they might be lovers. He couldn't forget the sight of him leaving her house. It didn't help that Lisa refused to talk about it. There was no space for anything personal between them, only work. Lisa limited herself to giving him directions and coordinates. Period.

_Ice Ice Baby_…thought Rick sourly as he recalled a song Roy used to sing.

The man knew her refusal to deal with him had to do with Minmei but he didn't know how to push the singer away from his life. Having her with him was like a dream come true – though not quite as good as he expected.

"Rick, darling! Would you pass me a glass of water?"

The pilot rolled his eyes as he counted to ten, rising from the sofa. They'd been back from the hospital for over a week now and she acted as if she'd been operated or something – when all she had was a lightweight cast on. Rick was starting to feel like a servant boy.

"Didn't I just get you a glass a juice, Minmei?" asked Rick from the kitchen.

"Yes but now I want water," she replied smiling sweetly.

_Man, she's high maintenance!_ Thought the pilot as he walked towards his room. His eyes caught sight of something missing on the coffee table but he couldn't recall what it was.

"Here you go," he said handing her the glass.

His eyes surveyed the room. It was a mess! Worse than when he was alone. There were magazines sprawled on the floor as well as stuffed animals, pillows and dirty laundry.

"You know what I've been thinking, Rick?" said Minmei ignoring the stern look in the pilot's eyes.

"What would that be?"

"You should move in here with me. You must be really uncomfortable sleeping on the sofa."

Rick practically choked at her words.

"There's no need to be shy, Rick," she gave him a look from under her lashes. "We're both consenting adults and I'm more than willing to…share everything with you."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," replied Rick trying to find the right words to say.

"Oh Rick, but, it gets cold at night."

"No problem, then! I'll get you a blanket."

"No, Rick. That's not what I mean."

"Be right back!"

Minmei pouted as Rick disappeared down the hallway.

_What is wrong with him?_

The singer had the feeling her welcome was ending. Rick had not been the same since they had returned from the hospital, and she suspected it had to do with the scene she had interrupted. Minmei had felt her heart stop when she realized Rick was about to kiss Lisa.

_That woman! _She thought angrily.

A crease formed on her forehead as she recalled her encounter with Kyle. He had been walking out of the hospital room (where Lisa and Rick were) when Minmei arrived. He gave her an indifferent stare just as she was about to tell him about her _ordeal_. He turned her back on her without a second glance. It bothered her but not as much as seeing leave the hospital with Captain Hayes.

_Crazy, crazy world!_ She thought baffled but secretly wondering if her ex-lover was warming up to the captain of the SDF-1.

Rick shook his head as he walked towards the linens closet. The prospect of sleeping with Minmei was unexpected. Every single soldier on the SDF-1 would give his right arm to share a night with Minmei; she was that coveted. Moreover, he knew that a few years ago, he would not have hesitated on accepting her offer.

He closed his eyes for a minute, recalling the endless nights that they had spent together, talking and laughing, sharing dreams and cups of coffee as well as their passion. Lisa was his match at many levels, although he never confronted himself with those truths. Even now, he still felt trapped between his youthful infatuation with Minmei and his maturing love and admiration for his senior officer.

_Lisa…if I could only let you know…if I could make you understand._

However, Rick knew he had gone too far expecting her to be there whenever HE needed her. The man cursed himself as Minmei called for him.

"In a minute!" he replied full of annoyance.

A bag lying in a corner of the closet caught his eye and he opened it. It was full of Lisa's belongings and his photo album. He felt anger building in him and he carried it towards the bedroom.

"Minmei, what does this mean?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as Rick threw the bag and its contents over her bed. It was her turn to curse herself for not getting rid of it.

"Why did you do this? These things are not yours!"

She looked at him in surprise. Minmei had never seen his eyes flash that way or heard his voice that angry.

"These are Lisa's things. Why are they in a bag?"

She shrugged innocently. "I needed space for my things."

"Didn't it occur to you that you should have asked _me_ before moving them?"

"Why?" She stared into his eyes. "She's not here. Did you think I was going to let you keep stuff that reminded you of her?"

Rick felt a rush a blood to his head at her words as he realized how different both women were. Lisa had never told him to get rid of his Minmei memorabilia. She had waited patiently for him to make a space in his life for her.

_I've been such a jerk!_

"What does it matter?" she asked kneeling on the bed. "She's an old sourpuss anyway!"

"Don't call her that!"

"My sweet Rick, let's not argue," she asked snaking her arms around his neck.

"Lisa's not a sourpuss, Minmei and don't you dare call her like that again, you hear me?"

"Yes, I hear you," she said whispering into his ear. "What do you say if we make up? Remember when we were lost in the SDF-1?"

He shivered at the feel of her breath on his skin and placed his hands on her waist to pull her away but she pulled him close.

"I was so young…I didn't know what I wanted…but now I do…make love to me Rick."

He didn't have time to respond. Minmei's lips came down hard on his and he felt as if all the air left his lungs. She was using a tactic that was as old as time.

Rick felt his toes curl.

* * *

Café Lunette was packed with women. It was "Tea Night" and most of the city's females made it a ritual to be there. Claudia, Miriya and Lisa were among them, sitting by a corner table while Dana slept close by in a stroller carrier. 

"Lisa, are you dating Kyle?"

The question took her by such surprise that she almost dropped the cup of tea she was holding. She raised her face to look at the Zentraedi woman, who had become very much of a sister to her.

"Heavens no! Who said that?"

"It's a rumor on the base, Lisa," answered Miriya before sipping from her cup.

"What? You're kidding!"

"It's true," said Claudia serving herself more tea. "People think you're dating the pacifist."

"Good grief! What imagination!" She chuckled. "Me? And Kyle?"

"You and the pacifist," assured Claudia. "Can you see the gossip mill turning?"

Lisa chuckled in disbelief.

"It's because you were seen together at the hospital," explained Miriya.

"Rescuing the children!"

"And leaving together on a jeep," added Claudia.

"It was the least I could do for him," replied Lisa. "He was hurt and tired. He needs to see the "softer" side of the RDF."

"By softer, you mean YOU?" asked Miriya astutely.

"Gosh no! He's just a guy that was there and--"

"Did you sleep with him?" Rick saw him leaving your house early in the morning," said Miriya raising an eyebrow, "and found his undershirt amongst your clothes.

Lisa practically spewed her tea. Claudia patted her back.

"Of course not! It's only been Rick and," she gave her friends a harsh look, "Why do I feel I have to defend myself?"

"Calm down, sweetie. We're just wondering on your whereabouts with the pacifist," said Claudia.

"You both know how it started. It was just a coincidence."

"Thank goodness for that," said Miriya that already knew of Lisa's incident on Christmas Eve.

"Remember you promised not to say a word to Max," chided Lisa.

"I know….I know…cross my heart and hope to die."

"You know how people are, Lisa. I don't understand you're surprise."

"What do you expect, Claudia? This is ridiculous! Kyle and I," she remained quiet for a couple of seconds, "Well, I don't know what we have but it sure isn't what you might be thinking."

"He is kind of cute…," muttered Miriya.

"Miriya!"

"Well, he's not like _my_ Maximilian but if he were a Zentraedi, he'd be up there with the Backstabber in cuteness."

Claudia and Lisa gave her a curious look. The green haired woman flushed.

"Yes, I know Khyron is a son of a --"

"Miriya!" the both scolded her before she ended the phrase.

"Okay…in general standards, Khyron is handsome."

"Mr. Lynn looks pretty nice with short hair," said Claudia lost in thought, "he reminds me of someone…"

Lisa wondered if her friend knew the impact her words had. Trying to divert the subject, she asked her when she'd seen him.

"Didn't we tell you?"

"Claudia and I saw him when I was taking Dana to a Mommy-and-Me class. He was working at the recreation center right next door."

"You're kidding me!" replied Lisa.

"Kyle's teaching kung-fu lessons to the children."

"Just what we needed…," moaned Claudia.

"I doubt if he's allowed to talk on his views," said Lisa.

Dana's wailing caught their attention and Lisa immediately offered to take care of her while Miriya prepared her bottle. The little girl cooed as she recognized Lisa and reached for her face. Lisa kissed the little palm and Claudia couldn't help thinking that her friend was born to be a mother more than a soldier.

* * *

The moon was shining over New Macross City as the friends said their goodbyes. The night was cool but not as chilly as one expected for the first week of January. There wasn't even a breeze and people were strolling down Main Avenue, window shopping and looking for after Christmas specials. 

Lisa strode slowly, enjoying her own company and stopping once or twice to peak at a store. A smile appeared on her face as she recognized Kyle in one of them. He had a look of utter confusion on his face as he checked hats. Lisa's brows furrowed as she saw him try on a straw hat.

"Need any help?"

He nearly jumped at the sound of her voice and she raised her hands to calm him.

"I'm so sorry, Kyle."

"You just startled me."

"Doing some shopping, huh?"

He gave her a blank stare. She pointed at the ridiculously oversized hat he was wearing.

"Oh, yeah!" he responded a bit flustered as he touched his head. "I get cold."

"I can imagine," she said trying not to giggle.

"What do you think of this?" he said showing her gray Stetson.

"Classy…if we lived in Texas." She looked around the rack. "You see to be an easy going guy, why don't we go with a classic?"

She showed him as black wool woven hat and a matching scarf.

"This is a classic?" he wondered putting it over his head and looking in the mirror. "I look like a criminal."

Lisa laughed as she folded upwards the fold over his forehead and threw the scarf around his neck. "No, you don't. You look normal."

"Contrary to what I normally look like?"

He gave her a side grin and she nodded. They looked at each other for a couple of seconds, strange electricity between them.

"Okay, guess I'll pay for these."

"Well, I've done my good deed of the day," said Lisa walking away. "See you around."

"Wait!"

Lisa's eyes immediately flew to where Kyle's fingers were holding her wrist.

"I haven't done my good deed, today…" He seemed to swallow hard. "Would you have a cup of coffee with me, Captain Hayes?"

She looked at him, speechless.

_Now, this will definitely add fuel to the fire._

"No pressure," he replied releasing her.

"Sure! Why not?"

"Cool! Let me pay for this and we'll be on our way."

He turned towards the register as Lisa placed a hand over her chest.

_Be still my heart…_

"How would Café Le Siécle sound?"

Lisa frowned. That was the place where Rick had left her waiting. Her gesture didn't go unnoticed.

"Bad idea? We can go wherever you'd like, captain."

"Lisa."

"Yeah! That's right! Lisa. Where would you like to go, Lisa?"

"How about Café Toulouse? They have a great chocolate mousse!"

"I thought we were having coffee, cap-Lisa," joked Kyle.

"That's _your_ good deed of the day, Kyle. Mine's buying myself something sweet!"

The pacifist held back a smile – though it was becoming more difficult for him to do so when he was with her.

To be continued...

* * *

Hello! Thank you again for your reviews. Hope you like this chapter. I know a few of you are wondering where I'm going with this, so here it goes: 

Okay, regarding Rick, well, the boy has always been honest with Lisa about Minmei. I think his problem is that he's not letting go his infatuation for Minmei. He's holding on to his "dream". Let's see if Rick is strong enough to reject her.

Would you?

Minmei knows she's lost Rick. Her sixth or (sick? Ha-ha) sense tells her Lisa is the winner but she's not giving up. She's spoiled so she's not giving up that easily.

Kyle…well, ever since I paid attention to the McKinney books, I saw bits of pieces of him that were never clearly explored in the anime, so I'm getting my chance here to do so. I like the guy, I confess!!! But Rick is my all time favorite followed by Lancer (I just might write a mini-fic once about him once I'm done with this one).

And Lisa, well, I feel she needs a break. A break from the drama of Rick and her unrequited love. I'm not saying that she's going to fall for Kyle but I do believe she sees in him more than meets the eye, so let the friendship begin!

Thanks again for reading! See you soon! Oh, and please review.

Humbly yours,

MsHayes


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

Kyle's gray eyes were watching Lisa with interest as she ate her dessert. He had never seen anything quite as sexy – and innocent.

_Minmei…_

He pushed the thought away as Lisa closed her eyes and placed the spoon in her mouth. Before she could stop herself, a little moan escaped from her lips.

"Oh my!" said Lisa as she blushed profusely. "Sorry!"

"No need to apologize," said Kyle before sipping from his cup of coffee. "I guess you're a chocolate lover, eh?"

Lisa nodded her head. "I love it! Nothing can cheer me up as much as _this_."

She took another spoonful of her dessert and rolled her eyes in delight. Kyle chuckled as Lisa rested the spoon on the dessert plate.

"What about you, Kyle? What do you like?""

"What do I like?" He scratched his chin with his index and thumb. "I really don't know."

"Are you serious?" She looked at him quizzically.

"I should know," he began to say with sudden seriousness, "but it's been so long since I've worried about my needs…that I just don't remember."

Kyle seemed ashamed at his confession and shrugged.

"How about chocolate chip cookies? Chocolate mint ice cream?" suggested Lisa trying to overcome his awkwardness.

"I think you're thinking about yourself, captain," said Kyle with a smile.

"Pizza? Hot dogs? Burgers?"

"Got it!" said Kyle snapping his fingers. "Smores!"

"Smores?"

"My father and I would eat them when we went camping," he said pensively, "We'd fish all day but we rarely caught something big enough for us to eat. We'd always have to eat what mom packed for us and then, we'd sit around the fire and make smores. It was the best!"

"I never pictured Max as the camping kind."

"He's good. He was a boy scout," said Kyle winking, "and so was I."

"Well, that explains it," replied Lisa smiling. "Seems like you and your father had lots of fun."

"We did. How about you? Did you ever go camping?"

"Not really. I've always been more bookish…if you know what I mean. Mother passed away when I was pretty young and father was always working, so I spent most of my days with the housekeeper."

"That must have been hard."

"You get used to it," said Lisa smiling sadly, "but father and I got closer when I entered the academy. How about you and Max?"

"We got along perfectly…until I started thinking for myself." He smiled wryly.

"You became a pacifist."

"Exactly and I couldn't have embarrassed my father more. All Lynn men had served in the military for ages. I was supposed to follow in their footsteps."

"That must have been hard for him to accept."

"Have you heard the saying 'out of sight, out of mind'. Well, that's what father did. He kicked me out of the house."

Lisa's green eyes showed surprise as he leaned forward to take another sip from his cup.

"Kicked you out?"

"I guess it was some sort of blessing. I left a few days before the Zentraedi attacked Macross."

"So that's why we didn't see you until Minmei visited Yokohama. You must've been so surprised to find out we were all alive."

"Not as surprised as finding out about the aliens. I figured that if she was okay, so must my parents. I had to see them. I was ready to pound Hunter if he refused to take me."

"Good thing you had Minmei on your side. She convinced him and Captain Gloval that she needed you aboard."

"Yeah, she has that ability."

They looked at each other for a moment, understanding the insinuation in their words. Lisa swallowed hard before speaking.

"So, what did you do while we were in space?"

"Nothing interesting. I finished my degree."

"Degree? You mean you were in college?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Why the surprise? You thought I had no formal education? Let me tell you something, those manifestos I've written don't come out of thin air."

"I know…I know…" said Lisa trying to appease him. "What did you major in? English?"

"That was my minor," he said cockily. "My major was civil engineering."

Lisa's eyes practically bulged. "What? You have a major in civil engineering!"

"Yeah. So?"

"You're exactly the kind of person we need, Kyle. Do you have any idea of how useful you could be to the reconstruction effort?"

Kyle frowned. "I have no interest in helping the militia. You made this mess, you fix it."

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound?" she asked a bit hurt at the tone of his voice.

"Excuse me?"

"How can you just sit there and not do a thing?"

"Because you guys, the military, need to pick the pieces of your disaster. It's the only way you'll learn that war is NOT the answer."

He spoke with such spite that Lisa frowned.

"You should be ashamed, Kyle. You do a lot of finger pointing but when it comes down to it, to really make a difference, you remain indifferent."

"Indifferent? Have you read any of my manifestos?"

"Yes, I have," she said picking her coat from a chair, "and as smart as you sound on paper, you sure don't seem it in person."

Kyle scowled. Lisa took a deep breath before continuing.

"If you really want to make a difference, stop complaining. Get off your behind and get into action. Stop wasting energy rallying against us and join us."

"No."

"I'm not talking about the military, Kyle. I'm talking about the reconstruction crews. You could make an impact on so many lives."

Lisa rose from her seat. The pacifist gave her a surprised look.

"Thanks for dessert," said Lisa turning on her heels. "Good-bye."

Kyle didn't bother to answer. He remained in his chair and looked out the window as she walked out the café.

* * *

They were lying on his bed, kissing as their hands hungrily explored each other's body. They were like erupting volcanoes, exploding full of passion and desire. He could feel her moving over his body, straddling him, her long hair falling over his face like a curtain.

"Minmei," whispered Rick looking into her dark eyes.

She kissed him again before pulling the front of his shirt.

"I want you," whispered the singer against his ear.

He shivered at her words but more at the wet kisses she was placing over his neck.

"Do you want me?" purred Minmei lying over him.

_Want her? Of course he did but…what was that uneasy feeling in his chest?_

Rick opened his eyes and they immediately focused on the bag where Minmei had stored Lisa's belongings.

"Say you love me," asked Minmei nibbling at his neck.

_Lisa__…_

"Say it," said Minmei kissing his collarbone.

The pilot always thought it would be easy to say, especially now that she was all over him…but he was wrong. He couldn't. He wanted to say it to someone that had proved herself loyal, and caring, and giving. Not someone that came in and out of his life like a tidal wave.

"Oh Rick, I love you."

_But I don't love you._

His hands grabbed her shoulders to gently pull her away. She gasped in surprise.

"I can't…we can't," he said standing.

"What's wrong?"

"This is wrong," said Rick retrieving a t-shirt from his clothing drawer.

"What do you mean?"

"We can't do this to _them_, Minmei."

"Them? Who are you talking about?"

"Lisa and Kyle."

Minmei felt as if she had been slapped. She had expected him to mention Kyle sooner or later, but _not_ that woman.

"Lisa? You're thinking about Lisa Hayes? The old sourpuss?"

"I asked you not to call her that." He looked at her sternly.

"She IS an old sourpuss and you know it!"

"Minmei, stop."

She stepped angrily towards him. "You're rejecting _me_ for that woman?"

"No, I'm rejecting you because I don't love you."

"You can't do this! Not after all that we've been through, Rick!"

"What have we've been through, Minmei?" He stared at her. "I've barely seen you during the past two years."

"Is this about Kyle?" She placed her hand over his.

"No, this is about me. Having you here was like a dream come true, Minmei but now it's time to wake up. I'm not in love with you."

The singer stepped back as if she had been struck.

"I thought you'd love me forever," she said with tears in her eyes.

"So did I."

"You can't give up on us, Rick. Not now that we're together. I love you!"

"I don't believe you," said the pilot leaning against the wall. "The only reason you're here is because Kyle left you and you expect me to be your consolation prize."

Infuriated, Minmei rose and slapped him.

"How dare you?" she asked through her teeth.

Rick looked at her with no expression on his face and shook his head.

"You need to go back home, Minmei."

"What?!"

"You can't stay here any longer."

"No, Rick! Please! You can't--"

"Tomorrow. It's too late right now. Good-night, Minmei…and good-bye."

Rick could hear her sobbing as he walked towards the front door.

"Rick, you can't leave me," she said trailing behind.

"I'm sorry," he said picking his coat out of the closet.

"Rick, no!"

He opened the front door and walked into the cool night.

_If he looks back, he's not serious_, thought Minmei as she stood, barefooted and coatless at the doorframe.

He didn't.

* * *

_Why do we always end up arguing?_

Lisa shook her head in disappointment. They'd only spoken a few times, and each time she felt so comfortable around him that she hoped they could become friends. However, that idea was fading quickly. That was never going to happen as long as she was in the military.

_I guess__ I'm the problem_, she thought sullenly.

Maybe she should hate him too. He was a pacifist, after all. He was the man that wrote manifestos against the RDF, the man that was responsible for the protoculture matrix being lost, that man that…

_Looks so much like Riber_

Just like Karl, Kyle was intelligent. He was well spoken and well read. It was easy to carry on a conversation with him - when he wasn't moody. And, there just was something in his gray eyes that made her want to… Lisa blushed at her thoughts.

"Hey!"

Lisa literally jumped in her shoes and turned around.

"Calm down. It's me," said Kyle raising his hands.

"You scared me!"

"I see that. I'm sorry."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Lisa noticed that Kyle was dragging the tip of his shoe on the ground.

"What are you doing here, Kyle?"

"I came to walk you home."

"It's not necessary," she said taking a step forward. "Why don't you just go back and sit around for a while?"

"I also came here to apologize," said Kyle following her.

"Apologize?" Lisa glanced at him.

"Look…you're right. I should probably do more than complain but it's not easy. I'm still taking baby steps, okay?"

"Baby steps?"

"You know…the recreation center…being your friend."

"Friends?"

He scratched his head before shrugging.

"Well, yeah. Aren't we? I did rescue you the other night," he began counting his fingers, "and at the hospital, and I bought you dessert."

Lisa couldn't control her smile. Kyle suddenly seemed so juvenile, the perpetual scowl was gone and his face was lit with a mischievous smile.

"The chocolate mousse _has_ to count for something," he concluded.

"I guess it has to," she replied. "Okay, you've convinced me. Friends."

"Handshake?"

"Sure," she said shaking the hand he offered, "just remember to keep me on your good list next time there's trouble."

"Will do." He took a look at her hand. "Where are you gloves?"

"I think I left them at the café. They must have fallen from my pocket."

"Do you want to go back?"

"It's not necessary. I'm almost home anyway."

Kyle took a quick glance at his surroundings. They were already entering the military community.

"That was quick! I thought you lived farther away."

"That night…we were," said Lisa a bit embarrassed.

"Have you heard anything from the police?"

"No. It's like the earth swallowed him. I hope it did. I don't want to see him ever again."

"Sure you do. Wouldn't you like to _pound_ him?"

"What is it with you? For being a pacifist you sure like to _pound_ people."

"I only fight when it's necessary."

"To protect your loved ones?"

Kyle's gray eyes fell on hers and she blushed.

"I didn't mean…I wasn't trying to--" she stammered.

"I know what you mean. Relax."

They continued walking in silence, the sound of their footsteps echoing across the neighborhood. Lisa couldn't help noticing how their arms bumped into each other casually. A few raindrops began falling over their heads.

"We better hurry," said Kyle taking her arm with soft strength. "It's going to rain."

"Huh?"

"Come on, cadet! Hut, one, two, three! We gotta hustle," he teased.

Her response was a soft giggle before quickening her steps.

"Can't you go any faster? I think you've become soft, captain."

"Well see about that," she responded before running and leaving him behind.

They ran a few blocks and made it to her doorstep just in time to cover themselves under her awning.

"I'm going to need a cab," said Kyle staring at the downpour.

"Why don't you come for awhile?" said Lisa opening her door. "I don't think you'll find one with this rain."

"You're probably right, and if there is one, it probably already has a passenger."

She nodded in agreement and with a gesture invited him inside. Kyle took his jacket off and hung it on the coat rack.

"It's nice in here. Toasty."

"I get cold easily," explained Lisa.

"Then Alaska must have been a nightmare for you."

"How do you know that?" she asked full of surprise.

"You'd be surprised at the amount of things, we, civilians find out," he said mischievously.

"I bet I would," she replied walking towards her bedroom. "I'll be back in a second. Make yourself at home."

Kyle turned on his heels and walked towards the couch where he had held Lisa the night she'd been attacked. He remembered her heart wrenching sobs and the way she clung to him. His anger had faded and been replaced for a strange desire to protect her – even if she was from the RDF.

_She's still a woman…a real one_, _not a doll made by Vance Hasslewood._

He frowned, angry at himself, not understanding why it was so difficult to forget _her_.

"Would you like some coffee? Tea?"

Lisa's question startled him and he jumped.

"Oh, sorry!"

He turned to see her wearing a pair of khaki slacks with a colorful sweater. Her hair was in a ponytail. She looked beautiful.

"Tea would be fine," replied Kyle leaning on the kitchen counter.

"It's jasmine," she said showing him the box, "I got it at your dad's restaurant."

"Then it's the good stuff."

She smiled before filling the tea kettle with water and placing it over the stove. The woman turned and gave him a curious look.

"What?"

"Why don't you take it off?" said Lisa pointing at his woven hat.

"Oh! I forgot I had it on."

Kyle pulled it off and static made his hair stand on an end. Lisa chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry. It's your hair. It's all over the place."

The man frowned and picked up the toaster to glance at his image.

"Yikes! This sure didn't happen when it was long…"

"Why did you cut it?"

"I was tired of it," he lied, "so I decided to trim it myself."

"You did it? No wonder!" replied Lisa shaking her head.

"No wonder?"

"You've got a bad haircut, my friend."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Very but I can fix it."

"You can?"

"Trust me. I'll be right back."

Kyle gave her curious look as she disappeared into her room. The tea kettle began whistling and Kyle poured the water into the teapot that Lisa had left over the counter. She came back almost immediately with a pair of scissors in her hands.

"Ready, Kyle? I'm going to leave you looking like a model."

"As long as it's not a bald one," said Kyle apprehensively.

"Trust me," said Lisa pulling out one of the dining room chairs.

"What other choice do I have?"

"The guillotine."

Kyle sat on the chair and Lisa placed a towel around his shoulders. She combed his hair and began cutting the excess, expertly, and trimming the rough ends. Meanwhile, Kyle remained with closed eyes, hoping for the best.

"It's done," said Lisa holding out a mirror to him. "Take a look."

He slowly opened his eyes and stared at his reflection. A pleased look appeared on his face.

"I told you to trust me," said Lisa with arms akimbo. "Man of little faith!"

"You're right. I should have trusted you."

"All you need now is some gel," said Lisa taking a bottle out of her pocket.

"No! I don't use that," he said pushing her hand away. The dollop fell on the ground.

"Just a little bit…trust me," she insisted pouring some more gel on her hand.

Before he could stop her, Lisa's fingers were going through his hair…and it sent jolts up his spine. Kyle remained still, glancing at her, at the intensity in her green eyes, the care she was putting into the task she was doing.

"There," whispered Lisa stepping backwards, "Perfect!"

Her foot slid on the gel on the floor and she lost her balance. Kyle managed to grab her arm and pull her close as he stood. The towel on his shoulders fell to the ground as Lisa clung to him.

"Whew! That was close," said the woman with relief.

Lisa tried to pull away but his arms wrapped around her, gently.

"Kyle?" She lifted her face towards him with a question in her eyes.

He looked at Lisa for a second, confused and at a loss for words…before pressing his lips against hers.

* * *

A.N.: Hello! Sorry for not posting. My only excuse is that work has been crazy and I've barely had any time to write for leisure.

Hope you enjoy this chapter. I look forward to reading your reviews. Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: ROBOTECH and its characters © Harmony Gold U.S.A., Inc. This fic was written for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended._

"**Broken Hearts"**

Lisa's eyes flew wide open as Kyle's pressed his lips against hers. Instinctively, her hands balled into fists and she tried to push him away but he managed to wrap his arms around her.

A faint moan escaped from her mouth; Kyle's kiss was an assault to her senses and she felt too weak to fight him.

"What in the world is going on here?!"

A startled Lisa pulled away and turned to find a soaking wet Rick Hunter standing at the door. A look of bewilderment was painted on the pilot's face as he looked at Lisa. She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. Rick frowned as his eyes shifted from Lisa to Kyle.

"You sonnava…!"

Against all odds, Rick's fist connected with Kyle's jaw; the pacifist never saw it coming. After all, Rick had never confronted Kyle regarding Minmei. The pilot would later wonder what had ticked inside him and all he could think was that Lisa meant to him more than he had ever thought possible.

"You no good…!"

Kyle managed to elude Rick's punch by arching his back; however it was the pilot's turn to receive the blow. A startled cry escaped from Lisa's lips as she saw blood trickle down Rick's face.

"Stop it!"

The woman came between the two males that were staring at each other like hungry lions.

"Step aside, Lisa," said Rick in a calm voice.

"No! This is absurd. You are not animals."

"Wanna bet?" replied Rick giving her quite a possessive look.

Lisa felt herself blush but she managed to regain her composure.

"There will be no fighting in my house, Captain Hunter and may I remind you that this is a direct order?"

"What? You're pulling rank on me?"

Kyle chuckled before heading towards the door.

"I'll be leaving. I have no intentions of upsetting you, Lisa."

"What a gentleman!" replied Rick full of mockery.

The pacifist retrieved his jacket before turning towards Lisa. "I'm sorry."

The female officer wasn't sure what he was apologizing for but she knew his eyes were sincere.

"Kyle…"

Rick gave each one of them a look of incredulity. _What was going on?_

_Now you know what they felt after you rescued Minmei_, whispered a voice in his head.

The man gave her one last look before stepping out the door. Rick didn't hesitate a second before kicking the door shut. Lisa frowned at him.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me?" replied a puzzled Rick. "What is wrong with _you_?"

Lisa could have sworn Rick's eyes flashed in anger.

"What's going on between you and Kyle?"

Rick's eyes scanned the room, his gaze falling on the two mugs on the kitchen counter as well as on the hair products over the table.

"Are you playing beauty shop, Lisa?"

Blood rushed to her face again. "Whatever I do in my free time is my business, captain, not yours. Besides, what are you doing here? I believe we have no official business pending."

The pilot took a step forward. "That's right. This is personal, Lisa. "I came to tell you that I love you."

It was her turn to give him a puzzled look. "Are you delirious?"

He scratched his head. In his mind, this was not the way he had pictured her reacting at his words.

"Would you mind giving me a towel? I need to dry up."

Lisa's eyes fixed on his coat and she noticed it was dripping water. Her anger seemed to fade and she walked towards the linen closet. It didn't take her long to return.

"Thanks," said Rick lifting his shirt over his head.

The woman sucked air through her teeth as she caught a glimpse of the man's torso. His muscles rippled as he moved the towel through his hair and back.

"I'll get you a shirt, Rick."

"Make sure it's mine."

Lisa turned from the closet and looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean, Hunter?"

"You know what it means, Lisa," he said averting her gaze.

"No, I don't." She faced him, arms akimbo.

"I don't appreciate finding other men's clothing in your house."

The woman sighed tiredly as she handed him a shirt he'd left long ago.

"It's my house, Rick."

"Yes but- -"

"And I'm a single woman, Rick. I have no attachments."

"You have me and I have you."

"No. You have Minmei," she corrected him, "in your house."

"So you know," he replied with shame.

"Of course I know!" She waved her hands. "The whole city knows."

"I'm so sorry, Lisa."

He placed the shirt over his shoulders and rose form his seat. Lisa faced him with a hurt look in her eyes.

"It's not what you think. Minmei needed a place to stay and a friend. That's all."

"A friend? Or a new lover? Tell me, if I walk into your place, should I be surprised to discover that you're sleeping with her?"

"Is that what you think?" He frowned. "Is that why you're sleeping with Kyle?"

It took Lisa all her restrain not to slap him. She pointed towards the door.

"Get out."

"Answer me!" he insisted full of jealousy.

"It's better if you leave, Hunter."

"No."

Each one stood their ground, stubbornly. Rick was the first one to pull back.

"This is going all wrong…" he mumbled.

Lisa felt tears welling up her eyes and swallowed hard.

"I'm sorry, Lisa."

"You already said that Rick."

"Okay, then I'll say something new."

The pilot placed his hands over her shoulders and pulled her close.

"I love you, Lisa."

She looked at him in disbelief. "What happened? Things didn't work out with Minmei and now you want a consolation prize?"

Rick winced at her words. They were the same he had told the singer.

"That's not true, Lisa. You are more than I deserve."

"Oh. You sure had me fooled. It didn't seem like it by the way you acted when you rescued her from Khyron…oh, and of course, the day you stood me up."

"Forgive me." He took her hands in his. "Please give me a second chance."

His blue eyes searched hers, as if he was trying to look into her soul.

"This would be more like a tenth chance, Rick," she said wryly.

"I love you, Lisa Hayes."

Rick pulled her against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. A warm feeling started to envelope her. The woman felt her defenses melting away at his closeness.

"If you'd only give me another chance, I promise I'll make things right."

Lisa lifted her face towards him. Her eyes examined his handsome face as she placed a hand lovingly over his cheek. He kissed her palm.

"Will you believe in me, Lisa?"

Her hand caressed his chin and neck before stopping abruptly. Her brows furrowed and she pushed him away.

"What's wrong?" asked the man regaining his balance.

"You are unbelievable!" cried Lisa on the verge of tears.

"What?"

She retrieved the mirror Kyle had used earlier and placed it in front of him.

"Next time you want to convince anyone that you love them make sure you don't have a hickey."

Rick stared at his reflection in disbelief.

"It's not what you're thinking. Let me explain."

"No." Lisa marched to the door. "Get out."

"Nothing happened. Just like nothing happened between you and Kyle."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked full of sarcasm. "Who said only you could have fun, Hunter?"

It was Rick's turn to frown. He held his breath and let it out slowly as he retrieved his coat.

"I know you, Lisa and I know it's the anger speaking."

"Whatever."

"I'm not giving up."

"That'll be a first, won't it?"

"I love you. Only you, Lisa."

"Good night Captain Hunter." She pointed towards the door again.

"Good night Captain Hayes."

Lisa slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Lynn-Kyle buried his hands deep in his pockets. He'd left his gloves purposely in Lisa's house because he needed to see her again. He needed to explain himself –though he didn't know what he could say.

How could he apologize for kissing her when he wasn't sorry about it? He knew he had no right to kiss her but he couldn't help himself; it had been so long since anyone had shown such care and interest in him.

_Would she give me a chance?_

He shook his head and smiled. Now, that was a real irony: the pacifist and the military together.

_Relax buddy! Don't rush it_, said a voice in his head.

However, his heart had all the intentions of rushing things. He felt like a love struck teenager. His smile quickly faded as he approached the restaurant and recognized the figure sitting on the curb.

"Minmei." She turned at the sound of his voice and smiled.

"The door is locked," explained the young woman rising to her feet.

"My parents are out."

Kyle turned his back on her and walked towards the door with the key in his hand. Minmei frowned at his lack of chivalry but decided to let it pass.

"I figured that," she said lifting her handbag. "Would you be a dear and help me with my luggage?"

"Luggage?" He gave her a strange look.

"You don't expect me to carry them upstairs, do you?"

"You don't live here anymore, Minmei."

The words were said with such coldness that she felt as if she'd been slapped.

"What are you saying, silly?" she asked nervously. "Of course I live here."

"No, you don't. You left us to be with your pilot."

"It was only temporary."

"Did he get tired of you?"

Minmei felt her cheeks burn. "Can we talk about this inside? It's cold out here."

"No."

"No? Stop being silly, Lynn-Kyle."

"No, you stop being silly, Minmei. This isn't a hotel, you know? You can't come and go as you please. This is my parent's house."

"Exactly. It's their house and that's why you can't stop me from coming in."

The woman tried to enter but he blocked her path.

"No. You have no idea how much you've hurt them, do you?"

"You're talking nonsense, Kyle."

"I can't let you in, Minmei. My parents are barely recovering from your last exit and you think you can come back, just like that?"

The petite singer felt tears sting her eyes but she promised herself she wasn't going to cry in front of him. She took a deep breath and straightened her back.

"Fine!" she said full of scorn. "I don't need you or your family. I'll be fine on my own."

"I'm sure you will. You're a big girl."

"Yes, I am!" she replied walking back towards the curb and hailing at an imaginary cab.

Kyle stepped inside the restaurant and locked the door behind him. A dull ache tugged at his heart and he rushed to the bar to grab a beer.

_Damn Minmei! Why did she have to show up now?_

Obviously things had not worked out between her and the pilot. That would explain why Rick Hunter was at Lisa's. He must have realized his true feelings for the woman; Kyle had always suspected that what Hunter felt for Minmei was infatuation.

_Has she been infatuated also?_ He wondered finishing his liquor.

His soft spot for Minmei made him walk towards the window hoping to see the singer outside but she was gone.

_Better this way_, he told himself reaching for another bottle. _Better this way._

In a cab, Minmei let the tears flow freely down her cheeks as she wondered where she could go.

* * *

Lisa Hayes was falling asleep when she heard the door bell ring – insistently. She only knew of one person that would have enough gall to pull such a stunt: Rick Hunter.

_I'm throwing him in the brig!_ She promised herself as she rose from the bed.

She hurried down the corridor as the bell kept ringing and opened it with a stern look on her face.

"What is- -?"

Her green eyes widened in surprise but before she could utter a word, a cloth was placed over her mouth. She felt a haze clouding her senses and desperately tried holding on to something but all she found was thin air.

"Surprised to see me, Lisa?" whispered the blond man catching her before she fell to the ground. "Bet you thought we'd never meet again."

_Robert!_ Was Lisa's last thought before losing consciousness.

**To be continued…**

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A.N: Hello! Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I really hope you leave a review.

Thank you for your patience!


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